Young Warrior: Son Chiri's Story
by lilDBZbuddy89
Summary: Set in an AU timeline from my other works. A mixture of canon and deviating events of the DBZ world. Goku and Chichi have a daughter; her name is Son Chiri. Read as she attempts to join the ranks of her father and friends and help defend her planet from the various evils that seek to destroy it. Features anime and movie villains. Written in 4 parts, rated T for later chapters
1. IoC Chapter 1

_This story focuses on a more recently developed DBZ OC and is set in an alternate timeline to the story Saiyan Princess. It will be written in four parts. The first part is known as The Ignorance of Childhood and shall focus on Chiri's life from birth to the end of the Cell battles. The story will follow the canon storyline in places but will diverge in others._

* * *

**The Ignorance of Childhood**

**Chapter 01 – Birth of Their Second Child**

Age 761, January 18th

It had been approximately eight months since Chichi's found out the blessed news, news which had filled her with joy as her small dream from her teenage years was being realised. She had always wanted a big family; just before their wedding day she had said to Goku she'd wanted eight or nine kids! It seemed that dream was indeed coming to fruition as she was well on her way now with her second child due. The moment she'd found out had not been identical to how Goku'd reacted; he'd seemed so indifferent about it, just as he had done with Gohan when they'd found out their first-born was on the way. Still he seemed excited in his own way, albeit not for long as Chichi'd quickly dived in and informed her husband he would not be training this one either! They'd soon found out the sex of the baby was a girl, something that excited Chichi further. She'd have one of each at the very least, which put less pressure on Goku as far as she was concerned! She loved Gohan more than anything but she was relieved to find she would have at least one little girl.

As her due date grew closer, Chichi grew more tired and restless and ratty, finding herself struggling to endure the baby's constant assault on her bladder, her other organs and her back. Then finally the due date came... and then it passed. Still there was no baby attempting to force its way out, though she was still a very lively baby and constantly reminded Chichi of her presence with the odd kick and jiggle. As the days passed Chichi grew more and more uncomfortable, her temper shortening further and further as her body cried out for the baby to be released. Thankfully it was the beginning of the year so the weather was cold; if it had been summer Chichi knew she'd also be roasting and competing with the hotter temperatures of the year! She missed being able to hold her first-born son Gohan in her arms comfortably and greatly appreciated her father regularly coming over to help alongside her clueless husband!

Then finally, five days passed her due date, Chichi felt her waters break.

The journey to the closest hospital was just as bizarre as the last as Goku insisted he take her on Kinto'un; it would get her there far faster than any car or plane! While Gyu Mao agreed to hold back and look after Gohan as it was the early hours of the morning, Goku took his heavily pregnant wife in his arms and tenderly placed her onto the floating cloud and before they knew it, they were off.

The hospital was about forty kilometres away in a relatively large town south of East City. The staff there had been warned of Chichi's imminent arrival and the nurses and doctors and midwife were prepared for them. It took Kinto'un only ten minutes before it arrived at the hospital, many staff members were shocked to see the couple arrive on what they could only assume was the strangest design for a hover-board Capsule Corp could have come up with! Chichi was rushed into the maternity ward with her husband by her side. After another hour of waiting and attempting to stand Goku's questions and seemingly irrelevant conversations (Chichi's temper was worn down due to the discomfort of being overdue after all), she was finally dilated ten centimetres and was wheeled down into one of the many delivery rooms. Another three gruelling, hand-squeezing and short-tempered hours passed with plenty of shouting and straining. The midwife and nurses did all they could to make the heavily pregnant woman as comfortable as possible and Chichi was glad to be on painkillers, though she was still furious they only worked so well and that she was still in pain and still horribly uncomfortable within herself! Goku was fantastic at giving support and seemed to have learnt from his wife's previous bout with labour with what worked and what only incurred her wrath! Any harsh words that did spill from her lips were easily dealt with; Goku'd learned not to let any of it bother him.

The sun soon rose over the mid-morning skyline and finally Chichi passed her baby out of her body with a few yelping, bloody pushes. The shrill but weak cry of her newborn baby was a relief for the mother to hear. Chichi would have looked but she was far too tired to open her eyes, heart still attempting to calm itself after spending several hours ferociously pumping blood around her adrenaline and painkiller-infused body. The deed was over now, the placenta had been passed through and now all that was left to do was share some skin-to-skin contact with her fragile baby daughter. The first step was over, now came the years of hard work that was sure to follow.

Chichi was glad she was no longer being forced by her own body to do as it wanted, feeling calmer and in control of herself once more. Her relief was short-lived. Panic quickly came over the room due to the baby having a tail, several of the nurses shrieking with horror, startling the two parents!

"What?" Chichi tried to speak louder but her voice was so strained only Goku was able to pick it up. "What's wrong? What's wrong with her?" She protested.

"It's ok," Goku responded to the nurse's look of horror with an unfazed smile, "It's her tail, right? Don't worry, it's a family trait!" He explained.

Several of the nurses still looked at the unruly-haired man with a feel of horror in their widened eyes. A family trait? What sort of mutation was this? None had ever seen anything like this before!

Chichi sighed and closed her eyes. "He's right," He confirmed, "Our son was born with a tail as well."

"... W-Would you l-like us to...?" One nurse started.

"Nah, leave it on," Chichi weakly waved one arm up, clearly oblivious to the nurses revulsion and concern for the anomaly on this little child!

Despite their concern and own prejudices, the nurses cleaned and wrapped the child up in a blanket.

Goku watched from his seat beside Chichi's bed, eyes darting between his exhausted wife and his newborn girl. Indeed it was a girl. That was good; Chichi hopefully would now be happy the two of them had both a son and a daughter. Goku wasn't really sure why Chichi'd been so intent on their second child being a girl. He wasn't even sure why she wanted so many babies. He hadn't really realised how much hard work they were until Gohan had been born. Chichi would often sort him out because she didn't trust her husband to do it well enough, Goku not really wanting to complain. He'd seen his wife's legendary temper and half the time wasn't even sure why she'd been so angry with him! So he'd accidentally made too much noise outside the house, or he'd been clueless as to how to change their son's diaper on one occasion, it didn't mean he wasn't willing to learn! Chichi had been adamant on doing most things involving their son so it left Goku with little other choice than to let her get on with it, fearing any mention of him helping would set her off again!

The sex of the child had always been irrelevant to Goku. He was indifferent to it all; either way it would have been a great opportunity to teach some martial arts, if only Chichi hadn't interjected again like she had with Gohan! Goku wished he could have been given the chance to train at least one of their children but Chichi wouldn't have any of it! Something about getting their kids an education, something she was eager to point out he never had! What was so special about being educated anyway? He'd received a basic education whilst under Master Roshi's training and had been left confused as to why being taught to read and write under the great hermit didn't count as an education!

"Would you like to hold your new daughter, Mr Son?" The midwife asked as she brought the tiny infant over to the bed; the baby now far quieter than she had been before.

Goku nodded and stood to full height, trying his best to remember how he was supposed to hold such a small baby, receiving instructions from both the midwife and Chichi as he did so! She looked miniature in his arms just as Gohan had done, and Goku took in every little detail of her face. She appeared to have her mother's skin tone; the hair was always difficult to tell whose side it had come from as both parents had dark hair, though her facial shape seemed more like his than her mother's.

"How is she?" Chichi asked still catching her breath as she opened one eye and tried her best to look over to her husband and daughter. The exhaustion had kicked in long ago during labour but she'd fought it, struggled against caving into her body's desire for rest and limpness until finally their daughter had popped out. Now it was time for her body to cave into the pressure and let her relax.

"She's beautiful," Goku replied with an odd smile as he turned, walking the tiny baby back to her mother. He couldn't deny the sense of pride he had looking upon the baby, just like Gohan. "She looks a lot like you Chichi." He cautiously bent forward slightly so as to show off the young girl to her mother, Chichi's eyes sparkling with emotion as she finally laid eyes on her daughter who had been rather quiet and appeared to be resting. The little baby was tiny in her father's gentle, muscular arms with a dark dab of short hair, which at the moment was pointing out in different directions. From what she could see of her daughter, she reminded Chichi so much of Gohan when he'd been born almost down to a T!

"She _is_ beautiful..." Chichi spoke breathlessly, holding out her arms as Goku passed their child over to her.

"I know this may not be the best time to speak and we will give you a little more time with your newborn baby," The midwife cut in. "It's important you both have some skin-to-skin contact with the child and bond with her..." She hesitated before continuing, "... are you sure you don't want us to remove that abnormality?"

"Abnor..." Chichi's heart had gone into hyper-drive at the mere suggestion but just as quickly as she'd panicked, the answer popped into her mind. Why were they so adamant on making her child look more like a normal baby? Chichi would normally have welcomed anything that suggested a normal family life but her children's tails were not the same. They were something bizarre they'd gotten from their father, in a strange way it was homage to him. Chichi was indifferent to it being there and knew from her memories of her youth that the tail caused no great harm! "No, the tail can stay. Honestly," She shook her head. "Our son also has a tail, as did my husband here."

"It'll be ok," Goku smiled.

None of the adults in the room were aware of the significant dangers the tail held, especially on the nights of a full moon.

Without another word the midwife left the room to write up the newborn child's records and make sure her place in the neonatal ward had been organised. _'That has to be the most bizarre genetically inherited abnormality I will ever see!'_ She mused to herself shaking her head.

* * *

Gyu Mao soon visited with his four-year-old grandson Gohan, who was eager to see his mother and make sure she was ok. He was normally a panicky child if his father or mother weren't nearby, even if his grandfather was looking after him! Chichi was resting when they arrived so instead the two met up with Goku and decided to get some breakfast and give Chichi time to rest. Finally the worn out mother was awake and very pleased to see her little boy, giving him a big hug as he jumped out of his father's arms happily. The newborn baby had been taken down to the neonatal ward and had been placed amongst a bunch of other children despite the nurses and doctors concerns over her abnormality!

An eager Gohan was raring to go and visit his new sister so Goku took him down, leaving Gyu Mao to keep his daughter company. The father and son wandered through several corridors though they remained on the same floor. Eventually Goku decided to ask one of the passing nurses where his baby would be being kept; she was kind enough to point him in the right direction down to the neonatal ward. It didn't take very long for the two to reach their destination.

Gohan peered past the glass separating them from the tiny babies inside, eyes finally fixing on his little sister. She was pretty easy to identify especially with her tail flicking around gently! "She's really small," He mumbled leaning closer to the glass, Goku having to adjust his arms so his son wouldn't fall out of his grasp. "She looks like mother."

"She does, doesn't she?" Goku agreed, still unable to stop smiling. "You'll have to be a good big brother Gohan; otherwise your mother will be cross with you."

"Yes daddy," Gohan nodded obediently. "Can we go closer?"

"I don't think so..." Goku shook his head. "I got told off when I did that when I came to visit you when you were a baby!"

"What's her name?" Gohan asked quickly changing the subject.

"She doesn't have one yet," Goku replied. "Your mother and I haven't decided on one yet."

"Oh... Can I name her?" Gohan asked eagerly, cheeks brightening up at the prospect he'd suggested.

Goku chuckled at his son's apparent enthusiasm. "We'll ask your mum when we go back to see her and see what she says!"

Gohan continued to look at the baby earmarked as his little sister, dark eyes tracing over her. "... She has a tail, just like me!" He smiled cheerfully, tail flickering back and forth. He'd been looking forward to having a younger sibling ever since his parents had told them the news. When they'd found out it was going to be a little sister, Gohan had become a little nervous and began to fear his initial joy at the news. His parent's had noticed the enthusiasm fall and Chichi had just chalked it up to him wanting a little brother; she quickly told her son that there was still a chance in the future he could have a brother to play with but for now he would have to become a good brother to his sister. Gohan had nodded and tried to not show his anxiety about the baby girl that was due to come into their lives. Truth be told it had taken him a while to work out the real reason he'd lost his fondness.

Surely a baby sister would mean another version of his mother in the house? Gohan found his mother to be strict and scary when she was angry, he was rather timid as a child and did what he was told without question. It was likely due to only ever having one woman in his life that made him fear his sister being just as scary and loud!

Yet as his dark orbs watched her sleeping, Gohan realised there was a chance it wouldn't be as he'd feared. He'd been silly; she was just a tiny little infant, sleeping peacefully and not creating a racket. He was her big brother, he had to set a good example to her... so maybe that meant he could teach her not to be scary like their mother!

"Let's go back and see how Chichi's doing," Goku cut through his son's thoughts. "Ready to go back now, Gohan?"

"Ok," Gohan nodded obediently. He longingly kept his eyes on his sister until he could no longer see her behind the glass panel.

* * *

It had been a couple of months since the newborn's birth and the latest edition to the Son family had certainly made herself comfortable. Many nights Chichi and Goku would be woken up by their screaming child who either needed her nappy changed or needed feeding. The disruption she caused to her parent's sleeping patterns were felt during the day as Chichi would become a little snappy at times whilst Goku would sleep in every-so-often. Young Gohan took a great interest in his little sister though he also continued with his studies under his mother's instructions.

In the end, Chichi (and it was pretty much Chichi's decision rather than a collective decision!) had aptly decided to name the baby Chiri. Unlike her older brother who'd been given the namesake of his adopted great-grandfather Gohan, Chiri's name hadn't come from anywhere in particular. It was only when Gyu Mao pointed out he was certain his long-deceased wife had a sister called Chiri that the name seemed to have any significance! Chichi had been thrilled to learn some more information about her mother's side of the family; the woman had died when Chichi was very young and the rest of the family had long since lost touch with Gyu Mao. Chichi knew she herself had been named after her great-grandmother and treasured that knowledge, so it was wonderful to find out her daughter had effectively been named after Chiri's great-aunt!

Life living in the small house under Mount Paozu was very busy but peaceful. However things were unknowingly about to change dramatically for the family of four...

Chichi kissed her husband on the cheek and pulled away, "Make sure you're both back before nightfall, Gohan needs to get some studying done before he goes to sleep. I'll have dinner cooking for when you get home."

"We'll be back before night, don't worry Chichi," Goku smiled holding Gohan in his arms. "I'll only stay for a couple of hours." He turned around and put one hand to his cheek, "Kinto'un!" He called. Seconds later the yellow cloud appeared in the distance, closing in, taking a large dive and stopping before the door. Goku hopped onto the cloud, Gohan gripping onto his father's arm a little tighter through the leap.

"Say hi to Master Roshi and the others for me," Chichi called. "Take care both of you!"

"Bye mother!" Gohan waved as Kinto'un rose slightly before shooting away from the house, taking her husband and son off over the ocean to that tiny island.

Chichi waved until she could no longer see them and headed back indoors. She wandered into her's and Goku's bedroom and picked up the small child out of her crib, she was awake and had been cooing as her mother'd entered the room. Little Chiri reached out for her mother and babbled some nonsensical words, jiggling in her mother's arms slightly as Chichi placed her down upon her own bed, getting herself prepared to breastfeed her daughter. "Your brother and father have gone out today, little Chiri," She cooed as she picked her daughter back up and put her into position, Chiri uncertain before finally latching on. "They've gone to see some of your father's old friends but they'll be back soon..." She flinched a little as Chiri started to draw milk from her. She hadn't been confident enough to breastfeed with Gohan but had decided to give it a go with her second born and although it felt like the right thing to do, Chichi had initially struggled. Her home visitor had been very helpful and before she knew it she was able to get her daughter in the correct position.

Her thoughts turned to her husband and son. Part of her wished she could have gone to visit the others but she knew she had a lot of work around the house to do. She wasn't particularly partial to taking a two-month-old baby to a reunion either, not trusting her husband's friends not to scare her little girl with their rowdy behaviour! Chiri slept like a cat during the day and even the sound of a sneeze from a different room could wake her up! Sometimes Goku's mumblings in his sleep would rouse their child up. Right now Chichi was unable to do much about it; she wasn't happy moving Chiri into the bedroom her father had prepared for her. What if they didn't hear their daughter crying over the baby monitor? What if there was a house fire and they couldn't get to Chiri in time? It had taken her until Gohan was three months old before she'd moved him into his own room; she would do the same with her daughter!

As soon as Chiri'd finished, Chichi burped her daughter before placing her back into her crib for some more sleep. She was a fast growing baby after all and needed all the sleep and rest she could get. With her daughter tucked in under her covers, Chichi left the room in order to get on with her chores, mainly preparing the large meal for her husband and son when they'd return.

Her thoughts fell back to her husband once more, only this time it focused on the martial-arts aspect of their lives. Chichi hated how much of an interest Goku held in the sport; sure it had been what had brought them back together a few years ago but Chichi felt his obsession was unhealthy! _'If only he could show that much dedication to something else, like a decent-paid job!'_ She scoffed to herself. She didn't miss the training and sparring under her father's tutorage; her main motivation for training as a teenager had been to get her man back! After a couple of years of waiting, Chichi had come to the conclusion Goku was no longer interested in marrying her, which did not rest well with her! One thing had led to another and before she knew it, Chichi had been trained in the art of the Kame School of Martial Arts and was facing off against her soon-to-be husband at the Twenty-third Tenkaichi Budokai...

Had that really been five years ago? Of course it had – they'd been married shortly afterwards! Chichi smiled as she reminisced about her wedding day, the day when her goal had been achieved. It had been a simple goal but she'd snatched her man and she was not going to let his training ruin her vision of what their family would become! Well-educated, mild mannered, hard-working people with decent jobs and money to support themselves!

"... As soon as they get back home," She mumbled to herself, "Gohan is going to be hitting the books a little more before bed!" A giggle escaped her throat as an amusing image of Goku joining her son in reading crossed her mind. "Maybe I'll get Goku to do it too!"

Chichi had no way of knowing that this vision would never become a reality on that night.


	2. IoC Chapter 2

**Chapter 02 – Paternal Family**

Nightfall had settled in over the mountain, the sun long since disappeared behind the horizon. It was getting late and still Goku and Gohan had not come home. An increasingly irate Chichi was busy in the kitchen cooking her family's food as she had been for the past couple of hours, which she was certain by now had been spoilt. Her father had come to visit and had brought some presents for both his grandchildren. Although she was still too young for it, Gyu Mao had brought Chiri a toy for when she was older; a small plastic car for her to rush about in. The babbling baby seemed content in her grandfather's company as he played with her, holding her above his head and gently rotating her around as if she were flying.

There was a small clatter from the kitchen which caught both of their attention immediately stopping their play. The sudden noise startled Chiri and she started to whimper, though before any louder noises came from her, Gyu Mao had already started to hush her with a large hug and many silly faces. It was enough to keep her tears at bay and Chiri became content for the time being, giggling and smiling once again.

"Where the heck are those two?!" Chichi snapped sticking her head out of the kitchen and wandering over to the front door. "They should have been back hours ago!" She threw the door open, waited a few seconds and slammed the door shut.

"Maybe Goku just lost track of time?" Gyu Mao suggested. "It's been years since he's seen his friends, he must have had much to talk about." He was growing wary of his daughter's increasingly hostile mood, at this rate he wasn't so sure he wanted to stay the night as had been agreed! Then again he wouldn't feel too comfortable leaving his daughter like this. If Goku was to return at some point during the night, it would work out better for him if Gyu Mao was present to keep his daughter's fury under checks.

Chichi strode away from the door and over to the phone, picking the handheld device up and dialling a number, no doubt Master Roshi's number. Gyu Mao watched in silence as the low but audible tone of the phone went off. There was no response and eventually Chichi slammed the phone down. The sound shocked her young baby and this time Gyu Mao's interference was not enough as baby Chiri started to cry. Her grandfather passed the bawling baby to her mother's outstretched arms as the woman cooed and soothed her daughter until she cried no more. The small moment seemed to have calmed her down quickly although once her daughter was at peace, Chichi's small rage returned as she focused once again on her missing husband and son. "No call to tell me they're going to be late, not one single call! He'd better be on his way back if he knows what's good for him! Our Gohan needs to get to bed on time!"

Gyu Mao left his daughter to stew in her own anger and took Chiri back to her room. His granddaughter had been up for a good few hours and was due another nap and since Chichi seemed preoccupied with raging to herself, he decided not to disturb her and instead take his granddaughter to relative safety and quiet. Placing the babbling baby into her crib he watched her for a while and put one large hand out, gently stroking her cheek. Chiri quickly fell asleep and Gyu Mao covered her with the blanket before returning to his daughter.

Almost as soon as he'd walked into the kitchen, there was a knock at their door. Chichi was at the door in a flash, yanking it open about to shout when she realised who it was. It was not her husband with her son. Instead it was Krillin. The small fighter and long-term best friend of Goku was dressed in a navy blue suit and held his hat over his chest. He seemed a little nervous about something though right now, Chichi didn't care! The fact he even stood before her was a big enough surprise.

"Krillin? How nice of you to come..." Chichi spoke almost disappointed, ushering him inside the house as any decent host would. Fury or not, she would be a good host to their unexpected guest, plus this way she could interrogate him about her husband's whereabouts! "Where's Goku? I tried calling Kame House but no one picked up!"

"Oh, t-that's because we... we all went out!" Krillin stammered. "B-But don't worry though, he'll be back, just not for a while yet."

"What? That's no good, he needs to bring Gohan back so he can eat and then study before bedtime!" Chichi snapped startling the nervous fighter! "Goku, bring back my baby this instant!"

"Calm down Chichi," Gyu Mao thumped over towards the door, "Krillin said he'd return, so in the meantime why don't we have dinner and wait for them to get back? Surely Krillin could do with something to eat as well?" He eyed the short fighter with a look of apprehension and more as if it was a request rather than a speculation!

"Uh... well I uh..." Krillin stuttered more anxious to leave than anything else; just being in the presence of Goku's fuming wife made him want to turn tail and run!

"I suppose..." Chichi sighed leaving the door and heading back into the kitchen to dish up, leaving the two men alone as Gyu Mao dragged Krillin into the house.

The short fighter took in his surroundings; this was the first time he'd seen his best friend's new home and on first impressions it seemed very cosy and peaceful. It just made it harder to deliver the news he'd been forced into giving; it was true what he'd said about Goku returning soon but not for a while. Unbeknownst to Chichi and her father, Goku would not be coming back until a year later. Terrible events had occurred during the day that neither would have the faintest clue about. Goku had at long last found his family in the form of a murderous alien warrior who'd kidnapped his son and forced Goku into a terrible situation; kill one hundred humans or have his son die. In the end the determined Goku had joined up with Piccolo to challenge his brother Raditz to rescue his son. By the time Krillin, Roshi and Bulma had arrived the battle was over and a heavy price had been paid.

Gohan was fine but the same could not be said for his father or uncle. Both had died at the hands of Piccolo; Goku sacrificing his life to have his brother killed. Finding out her husband was an alien and not human would surely be a shock though it was one Chichi would surely move on from; at the end of the day he was still her husband and like any other human she knew. No, he was better than any other human she knew. Goku was the best husband and a devoted father she could have asked for.

Bringing Goku back to life with the Dragonballs would be the easy part but there was worse to come. Two of the alien's companions were due to arrive on Earth in little under a year; they were far stronger than the one Goku and Piccolo – Earth's strongest warriors – struggled to barely defeat. Although Krillin feared Chichi's reaction to finding out her husband's death, there was even worse news to tell. Her little boy Gohan had been kidnapped by the demon king Piccolo Jr. Possibly the worst news of all and something Krillin dreaded telling more than telling her of Goku's death. She would kill him!

"We'll give Chichi a little time to calm down and dish up," Gyu Mao instructed leading him into the hallway, perking up a little as they passed one closed door, a name plaque stuck near the top that read 'Gohan'. "So what did you think of my grandson?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah... He's really something, not much like his father but very similar in some ways," Krillin answered cautiously looking around at his surroundings, taking note of the family photos up on the wall. One caught his eye and he stopped. It was a picture taken not too long ago from the looks of it. In it were Goku and Gyu Mao standing either side of a bed, what appeared to be a hospital bed. Gohan was in his father's arms looking down at his mother who sat in the bed in the centre of the picture, holding what appeared to be a tiny baby in her arms.

"That was taken at the beginning of the year," Gyu Mao explained realising Krillin had stopped following him. His eyes studied the picture through the framed glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose, fond memories coming back to him. "The whole family: all five of us."

"F-Five?" Krillin repeated adding one and one together. "T-Then... Then there's another child?"

"Yep, born at the end of January," Gyu Mao nodded, "Here, she's sleeping right now so we'll have to keep the noise down," He ushered Krillin towards a door on their right which was slightly ajar. Carefully Gyu Mao slowly opened it and pointed to the crib in the middle of the room. Krillin slowly crept in and peered over the side of the crib, eyes falling on the young Chiri who was sleeping peacefully. So Goku had another child? Krillin couldn't believe how productive his seemingly naive best friend had been! It had been a shock to learn Goku'd already produced a son but to have produced two children already? Immediately he could see the resemblance the child had to her mother though she seemed to have her father's face shape. A small tail flickered underneath the soft covers as the baby slept peacefully. Krillin took a couple more moments before slowly and quietly leaving the room.

A four-year-old son and a baby who had to be around three months old... (Though he didn't realise just how old she actually was!) This was not going to make his job any easier...

* * *

By the time the sun had risen, Krillin had vanished. Chichi had offered to put him up for the night in the spare room but when morning came, he was nowhere to be seen. Anger was still fresh and close to the surface and still Goku and Gohan had not returned. Chichi'd had enough. This was too irresponsible even for Goku. She'd given him specific instructions to get Gohan back before nightfall and he'd failed to do so. She'd told him Gohan needed to study and had trusted him to keep his word. That had not happened and Chichi needed to put her foot down. He hadn't even so much as called to say where he was and what he was doing and Krillin had been reluctant to talk! She needed to take matters into her own hands.

"Ch-Chichi, hold on a moment!" Gyu Mao stammered as his daughter slammed her hovercar door, strapping her daughter into her baby seat and starting up the engines.

"If you're coming then get in!" Chichi snapped glancing over her shoulder. "I'm going to collect Gohan and Goku!"

Without another word and fearing being left beind, Gyu Mao leapt into the back of his daughter's car which caused it to shudder and bump against the ground due to the man's sheer size! The engines revved up as it shot forwards down the path through the woods and out into a clearing, joining the small road heading south.

It took over three hours to reach the south coast and by that time the sun had risen high into the late winter sky. They'd passed through wild grasslands, boggy creeks and into desert before finally coming across the salty tang of the ocean. It wasn't much further to go but Chichi was growing increasingly annoyed the closer they got.

"Of all the nerve... Krillin didn't even bother to say he was leaving!" she grumbled.

"Now Chichi, don't get so upset," Gyu Mao replied cautiously, "Chiri will get upset if she sees you all cross."

"Oh hush dad!" Chichi growled. "I told them - be back by dark! Why doesn't anyone listen to me?!"

"It's like I said earlier honey," Gyu Mao spoke calmly; someone had to after all! "Goku hasn't been to Kame House in a dog's age. He probably had a lot of catching up to do and lost track of time!"

"Well goodie for Goku – but our son has school!" Chichi snapped undeterred. She didn't care how long it'd been since Goku'd seen his friends. Gohan was at an important age and to her nothing mattered as much as her son's success in life. He had studying to do, he had preschool to attend and it was awfully selfish of her husband to deprive their son of something she considered to be vital to his future!

Gyu Mao however was not of the same mind as his daughter. "B-But Gohan's only four, he can miss a day of preschool and it wouldn't make much -"

"Get with the times dad, it's a competitive world!" Chichi retaliated cutting him off. "It's never too early to get an edge! I want my son to be given all the education he can get, is that too much to ask?"

The shouting got to Chiri and she started to wail over her mother's ranting. Gyu Mao attempted to calm her down whilst Chichi continued on driving safely across the waves below, something she wasn't quite succeeding at thanks to her lack of patience and mood!

Finally a small dot appeared on the horizon, a satisfied but dangerous smile etching onto Chichi's face. It was Kame House. She'd get answers from her husband and if not him then his friends! As they approached the island it became apparent there were three people standing outside the small house. Closer still it was revealed to be Master Roshi, Krillin and Bulma, Turtle had appeared to be a rock but on closer inspection he became more recognisable.

"Hello master, it's me!" Gyu Mao waved as the aircar closed in on the island, his huge hand almost swaying the entire car off balance! Chichi pulled up sharply on the sand, the hovercar's engines switching off as it lowered itself onto the sand below. Little Chiri was left in her car seat as Chichi jumped out along with her father who was bowing down on the floor before Master Roshi. "It's been so long!" the giant of a man was saying.

"So, where is my son?" Chichi demanded as she looked around the island, peering through the windows of the house just in case they were inside. "Where are my son and Goku? Answer me!"

"T-They're no longer here..." Master Roshi stepped forward. "I'll tell you where they are..."

Whilst Master Roshi filled Chichi and Gyu Mao in about the events that had taken place, little Chiri sat patiently in the car watching the seagulls fly above her head. She tried to reach out for them and giggled as they circled around the island, their shadows passing over her.

"WHAT?!" Chichi's loud shriek made the little baby jump, startled she began to cry. Gyu Mao rushed over to his granddaughter and pulled her out from her chair before rushing back, large deep footprints left in the sand. The news of his grandson's kidnapping had caught both he and Chichi by surprise.

"What was Goku doing at this moment in time?" He asked, though not as loudly as his daughter had as he was still trying to calm Chiri down!

"...Dying mostly..." Master Roshi answered sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

Chichi grew pale as the blood left her face. Her knees buckled from underneath her and she collapsed onto the sand, out cold. The shock had been too much for her to bear.

"Chichi!" Gyu Mao cried, handing the still bawling Chiri over to his former martial arts master who seemed pretty shocked to see such a small baby present. Thankfully Roshi was a natural with children and had little qualms holding her whilst his former student saw to his daughter. Without anyone really noticing, he quickly took a look at the child's ki signal, frowning a little when it became clear she had a ki similar to that of Goku's son when he'd been on the island yesterday. Neither child seemed to have an aptitude for fighting, not that it was surprising a baby felt as weak as any other child! Master Roshi had just expected something more from the offspring of the strongest man and woman on the planet!

"Who's the kid?" Bulma asked quietly to Krillin, half-expecting her suspicions to be confirmed.

"That's Goku and Chichi's little daughter," Krillin answered glumly.

Bulma frowned empathetically as she hid her shock well. "Poor Chichi... she lost her husband and her son and now her daughter's not gonna have a father until Goku returns..."

* * *

A couple of months passed and an edgy and stressed out Chichi continued through life without her husband and son. Initially it had been a struggle to cope with the loss of her husband and her missing son being held captive by the most dangerous monster present on the planet, though thankfully her father chipped in and assisted when needed. For the first few weeks Chichi found herself crying often, usually during the nights when she found herself worrying about her son and the horrible things that monster could have been putting him through. She missed her husband dearly, feeling perhaps she had been a little too harsh on him before when it came to training and their son. She'd only wanted the best for their boy and now she was certain Piccolo would torture him. As a mother she felt she'd failed, letting one of her children be taken by force by that monster... and there was nothing she could do about it.

What had peeved her off was that everyone seemed to be in agreement that her son being in Piccolo's care was the best hope for the Earth! Her little boy was shy and easily frightened and now he was being trained to practice martial arts? Did none of them realise Chichi had no interest in forcing her son to do something he didn't enjoy? Did her wishes not matter to them? What was so important about him learning to fight anyway? She was his mother – she was the one who should decide what he did and did not do!

Over the weeks, Chichi had noticed a small change in Chiri who became a little quiet, though soon she was back to her normal self. Master Roshi had paid a visit since the news had been broken, though it was not in reference to Goku or Gohan initially. He explained to both Chichi and Gyu Mao about their plans to revive Goku with the Dragonballs. He'd been informed by his sister Baba (who was known to Gyu Mao and Chichi) that Goku would be training in the afterlife and would not immediately be wished back until the supposedly stronger Saiyans would arrive. They had about a year until the villains from space were scheduled to appear.

"So Goku's going to be training with this Kaio – Lord of Worlds - person?" Gyu Mao repeated sipping on his coffee. "That sounds just like Goku. It must be an honour to train under someone so prestigious!" He was quite impressed with what his son-in-law was getting up to in the afterlife, pleased to know there was a plan to bring him back to life. He felt for his daughter, having to wait an entire year before she could be potentially reunited with her husband...

"Yes," Master Roshi agreed. "It astounded me that even Kami took an interest in him when he was younger but to now be trained by someone with more importance than Enma? It's crazy! Let's just hope it will be enough for Goku to get stronger and be able to defeat these Saiyans." He took a long sip of his green tea, unsure whether he felt confident or worried about Goku's training. The Saiyan that had turned out to be his brother had proved to be a powerful adversary; the Saiyans due to arrive were supposed to be his superiors. Would the training his former student was going through be enough to protect the planet?

Chichi was close-by washing some dishes though half listening in to their conversation. She didn't like how blasé they were being about her husband's current situation. She was still grieving about his death; never had she thought Goku would be killed in such a manner by Piccolo, even if it was in sacrificial terms to protect the Earth. Where had it gotten them all? Two more supposedly powerful monsters were now closing in on their planet and its greatest hero was dead and training in the afterlife, while his son suffered at the mercy of the former demon king Piccolo's offspring, a man who was just as cruel and evil as his father!

"Oh, before I forget," Master Roshi glanced over to the woman who had her back turned towards them. "How is your little one, Chichi? I actually came to give you a little information."

Chichi did not turn to face her guest as she was so engrossed in her activities. "What?" She rudely snapped.

"Well... if she still has a tail, you might want to get it cut off," Master Roshi explained. This was enough to grab Chichi's full attention and she finally turned to face him, a look of concern and alarm on her face. "You see..." Roshi continued, "... that thing's pretty dangerous. If your daughter were to catch sight of the full moon, she'd turn into a monster! It's a Saiyan trait which seems to allow them to transform into a giant ape; Goku did it a couple of times in his youth and his power became far too much for my own to handle. It's dangerous to let her keep hold of her tail, Chichi."

"So what, are you saying I should just butcher my baby up?!" Chichi growled defensively. "Exactly how little pain do you think she'll be in if I get it pulled off of her?! That's child cruelty!"

"Listen, I know it sounds cruel and harsh but she'll learn to live without it," Master Roshi insisted. "Wouldn't it be better to have her tail removed than to chance her seeing the full moon, transform and go on a rampage?"

"... It sounds too risky Chichi to let her keep it," Gyu Mao frowned. "We should listen to Master Roshi."

Chichi wasn't convinced. Getting rid of her daughter's tail seemed so cruel, like removing an arm or leg. It didn't sit well with her even if what Master Roshi and her father said were true. She didn't want to put her baby in any unnecessary danger or harm her in any way, her motherly instincts meant she wanted to protect her no matter what.

"... Chichi?" Gyu Mao queried.

"... I'm sorry but I can't let you do that to my baby," Chichi shook her head in defiance. "I'm not going to let you hurt her."

Master Roshi looked down at his lap for a moment before raising his head again, "Don't worry. Kami removed Goku's tail when he was a boy. We could have him remove Chiri's tail and it wouldn't hurt her at all. The Saiyan's weakness is their tail so the sooner we can get rid of it, the better."

"See Chichi? Kami can remove it and it won't hurt Chiri at all," Gyu Mao smiled pleadingly. "I know you want the best for Chiri and I think this is it."

"The answer's still no!" Chichi snapped. "My baby is not having anything cut off! That's final!"

The two men kept quiet. Neither could see a way in which to change her mind as of now... Perhaps it would take some time for her to consider the true implications of her choice? Gyu Mao wasn't so sure on betting on his daughter to see the bigger picture; she was as stubborn as her mother! It was still hard for him to absorb the information that his own grandchildren and son-in-law were capable of transforming into such monsters just by looking upon a full moon, almost too farfetched. Yet knowing Gohan – his own fellow student under Master Roshi's teachings – had been killed by an oblivious young Goku transforming sent shivers down his spine. He didn't fancy going toe-to-toe with his own grandchildren if the time came – there was surely nothing he could physically do in the face of power such as that...

As his daughter left the room for unknown reasons, the giant of a man leaned over towards his former master; his size meaning he unintentionally almost pushed Master Roshi from his own seat! "I think it would be best if I took Chiri to Kami's place without Chichi knowing."

"Getting to Kami's palace is no easy matter," Roshi countered, a little disgruntles he'd almost been barged off his chair! "It's not a journey any individual can take. It's even more treacherous than climbing the famous Korin Tower. You are strong but not strong enough to get your grandchild there. No, this would be a job for one of the boys to take Chiri up to Kami himself. That's not the biggest problem..."

"I know what you mean," Gyu Mao rolled his eyes, making a quick pass back over to the door in fear his child would suddenly be there. "... Getting Chiri and Chichi away from each other will be near-on impossible now that Gohan and Goku are gone."

"Still, it is something we must try and do at all costs," Master Roshi warned, stroking one of his whiskery strands with his hand. "It would be disastrous if the planet were to be destroyed by our own side before our Goku can even be revived! I'm not sure how we'll do it but we must convince your daughter that getting rid of that tail is the right thing for her daughter and the planet."


	3. IoC Chapter 3

**Chapter 03 – The Saiyans Defeat**

Age 762

As told by the dead Saiyan Raditz, the Saiyans did eventually arrive on Earth. Unexpectedly they reached their destination nine months after their fallen comrade's death rather than the year Raditz had foretold!

Chichi had noticed the sky turn dark one early afternoon and had been informed by her father of what this could have meant. They were not due a solar eclipse anytime soon so it could only mean one thing: Goku was being revived. Knowing her husband was doing what should have been impossible in coming back from the dead was amazing; Chichi was overwhelmed to know her husband would once again be breathing, his heart beating once more, once again standing on the same ground as she did. His death had been an experience she had never anticipated having to go through so soon into their marriage and so it had come as a huge shock to the poor woman when she'd been told the news. The support she'd received from her father and Master Roshi had been adequate, enough to help her get on with life and looking after her daughter. The kidnapping of her son hadn't helped the situation any and Chichi'd found herself waking up many times during the nights coated in a cold sweat, feeling she'd just ran several hundreds of miles. She missed Gohan dreadfully and could only hope that the evil monster who'd stolen him was showing any signs of mercy towards him!

On the morning the Saiyans arrived, Chichi had been dusting the living room with her television set on, just in case her father's assumptions were correct. To her horror it was true; one news reporter told of breaking news in East City – the entire population had been annihilated by a terrifying explosion. Rumours had spread about two strange pods being spotted falling from the skies, landing in the centre of the city minutes before the metropolis vanished in the blinding light, reports suggesting the explosion could have been caused by some type of nuclear explosion, or some terrifying new technology! It didn't matter either way to the dark-haired woman what speculation was being followed; dropping all her plans for the day, Chichi rushed to get herself ready, alerting Gyu Mao about the news. Whilst her father sorted the car out, she grabbed hold of her one-year-old daughter and the trio set off for Kame House. It was the best place to get information from; Master Roshi could sense energy signals from what Chichi understood.

The journey took a couple of hours across land and sea but finally they arrived, bursting through the door to the surprise of the inhabitants inside. Indeed the gang were present; Master Roshi, Bulma, Oolong, Puar and Turtle were all in the living room with eyes glued to the television screen. Chiri looked around staying quiet as her mother walked into the room.

"We were expecting you two to arrive," Master Roshi greeted them, dressed in a black Chinese uniform and looking very solemn.

"Master Roshi, is my Gohan there?" Chichi asked whilst passing her daughter to Bulma quickly before confronting the man. Bulma thankfully took the child with little resistance and sat her down on her lap, quickly noticing Chiri's tail was nowhere to be seen. That was a relief; it seemed Chichi had been convinced to have it removed. What a relief it was to know none of the semi-Saiyan children could now accidentally transform into that gigantic ape! Chiri stirred and whimpered slightly in the blue-haired woman's arms but calmed down once Bulma started to rock her gently from side to side.

"... I'm sorry Chichi," Master Roshi frowned, pointing towards the television screen, "He's there."

Chichi couldn't believe it; this was the worst news she could have received. For just under a year she'd been widowed after her husband had been killed by his alien brother, whilst her only son had been taken against his will by the world's most dangerous monster and had to endure goodness knows what! Indeed Gohan had appeared on the screen wearing different clothes that closely resembled those of Piccolo, his long hair held back by a piece of cloth tied around his head. The look upon his face was something Chichi'd never really seen in her little boy; serious concentration and potential nerves creeping in upon his young face. She was relieved to see her son alive but being forced to fight against two killer aliens? He was only a boy of five: he was too dear and precious to be involved in something so dangerous!

She felt her knees give way, unable to stop herself as she collapsed to the floor.

"Chichi!" Gyu Mao gasped, rushing over to his daughter's side. He checked her vitals and was relieved to feel her still breathing and her heart still pumping blood around her body. His own heart sank, empathetic for his poor daughter's situation. He too was amazed to see the change in his grandson's composure, concerned for his welfare but also brimming with pride to see the warrior his first grandchild had clearly become. Piccolo hadn't done what he'd have expected him to do, instead he had stuck to his word and trained the boy to become something that would hopefully be of use to fight against the Saiyan threat. _'He looks just like Goku when he was a lad,'_ The bearded grandfather thought to himself.

Whilst pulling a sheet which Oolong had collected from upstairs and slipping a cushion under his daughter's head, Gyu Mao kept his eyes firmly glued to the screen, eyes firmly on his grandson until that horrific moment the camera tore him away and focused on someone else.

* * *

The battle had been eventful, though it had ended with what could have been the next possible worst-case scenario after the Saiyans defeating their friends and destroying the Earth. First to have died was Yamcha; one of the green mini-monsters that had miraculously sprouted from the ground had grabbed onto him and self-destructed. It had left a heartbroken Bulma in tears. Then there was Chaozu; the miniature fighter had interfered with Tenshinhan and the burly Saiyan Nappa's fight and attempted to finish him off for good by self-destructing. The plan had not worked as Nappa emerged with nothing but a few scratches. Tenshinhan had been the next to go, using up all of his energy in one attack and draining himself of his life force, though Nappa had lived on. Then finally Piccolo died, though right now the circumstances of his death were unclear to the group as by this time the television had gone on the fritz and Baba had not arrived with her magical crystal ball. Piccolo's death meant Kami had also died. The Dragonballs had gone and existed no more.

None of their dead friends could be wished back to life.

Goku had arrived during the middle of the fight and after apparently defeating Nappa, he had taken the Saiyan Vegeta to a more remote area to battle. This was when the gang had decided enough was enough and had started their journey to meet up with their exhausted comrades. None of them knew what to expect when they arrived.

Chiri sat patiently on her mother's lap reaching out to her mother's bangles and twisting them around in amusement. Throughout most of the battle that had been viewed on the television at the small pink building sitting barely upon the tiny island, Chiri'd been napping and so was oblivious to the tragedy that had taken place. She had little idea of what Saiyans were, why everyone had been so tense and solemn, why her brother had been on the television. She had little idea her father had come back to life, helped to fight the Saiyans and almost died in less than twenty-four hours of returning back to Earth! Several of those in the large craft now travelling across the barren wasteland considered her to be incredibly lucky she would have no recollection or comprehension of the emotional strain everyone else had to endure... Then again she had been deprived of a brother and father for the past nine months...

A tense and uncharacteristically quiet Chichi was almost oblivious to her daughter as her eyes stayed fixated on the front of the plane. Soon she'd be reunited with her son and her husband. Soon she'd be able to give her husband a piece of her mind for letting his son be kidnapped! At least the spawn of the evil Demon King was dead and no longer able to harm her son or do whatever he had been able to do before! Her first concern as of now was to find Gohan, to take him into her arms and to never ever let him go again! The past year had been too torturous for her, she didn't think she could do it again! Chichi didn't care how obscene she must have sounded to everyone else; this was her son who'd been taken from her, had been abducted and forced to do who knew what by that cruel, cruel monster! She was certain no one but another mother or father that had been in her shoes could understand the pain and torment it had left her with. Just thinking about it made her semi-consciously tighten her hold on her daughter, Chiri babbling a little with protest as the bangles on her mother's wrists slipped from reach!

"There they are!" Bulma gasped as she leaned forward in her seat, piloting the craft down towards a maze of crags and cracks in what appeared to be a desert. Chichi leapt from her seat, rushed over and glanced over Master Roshi's shoulder, the elderly master sat in the co-pilot's seat beside Bulma. Her dark eyes quickly picked up on a couple of dark spots on the floor; were any of them her son? She could see three... no, four people down below. Two were standing, one was sprawled out on the floor – Chichi gasped as she realised the one on the floor was her husband! The two standing looked too tall to be her son! Where was Gohan?

The craft landed onto the dusty floor and Chichi bolted out completely forgetting about her daughter who'd been left on the seat! "GOHAN!" She shrieked shoving Master Roshi out of her way and jumping clean out of the craft, dashing straight over towards Krillin as she spotted the familiar, naked child in his arms. She completely ignored her crippled and broken husband who lay between her and Krillin, jumping over him without so much as a glance, instead knocking Krillin back onto the ground as she scooped her son into her arms. She'd never let him go again! "Gohan! Gohan, speak to me! Wake up sweetie, mama's here! What did they do to you?!" The sight of her bruised and exhausted son was distressing and Chichi attempted to wake her son to little avail. The horrifying thoughts ripped through her mind; were they too late to save her boy? No, he was breathing. He still had colour in his cheeks. He was alive!

Still inside the ship, Chiri was calling out watching her mother from a distance through one of the windows, growing more and more distressed with every unheard call. Before the tears could come, she was picked up by Bulma and taken outside of the ship. Chiri did not cry; she'd grown used to being in Bulma's company all day and was pleased to be moving along to be with the large group of people. Just ahead of them were Master Roshi and Korin standing over the fallen Goku. Bulma broke into a trot until she was by the battered man's side. "... Goku?" She called kneeling down, securing Chiri in her arms. Chiri looked over and down to her father (unaware this man was her father as she did not have many memories of him).

"It looks bad..." Master Roshi muttered grimly.

"The... Saiyan... got away... S-Sorry..." Goku apologised breathlessly. He caught a glimpse of the little toddler in Bulma's arms and smiled, recognising her almost instantly. "... Chiri... She's grown..."

"Yes, this is Chiri, your daughter," Bulma nodded with a small smile, relieved Goku had some sort of memory function at least!

"Do not be sorry for such a victory," Korin interrupted. "That was an incredible battle you fought."

Eventually everyone was brought back onto the ship including the injured survivors. Goku was placed on a stretcher whilst Gohan had been wrapped in a blanket to keep warm. Despite their injuries Krillin and Yajirobe (the other survivor) were still able to walk and so sat amongst their friends. Bulma had been too distressed to fly the plane after being reminded her love-interest Yamcha was never going to come back to life thanks to the Dragonballs disappearance, so instead Master Roshi was flying the craft. Chiri sat beside her mother and Bulma, a little tired and agitated. She could sense the sorrow inside the craft which set her off on more than one occasion. Her brother was now in their mother's arms, leaving Chiri to nestle up against her mother's hip and attempt not to poke herself in the eye with her brother's foot! Thankfully a reassuring hand held onto Chiri's shoulder; her mother hadn't completely forgotten her after all...

Krillin directed Master Roshi to the site where the battle earlier with the Saibamen and the Saiyan Nappa had taken place. Even in darkness the area was heavily littered in battle scars, small craters and chunks of rock spread all over the grassy fields. The ship landed and the bodies of the dead were gathered altogether, placed in special capsules that would freeze their bodies and keep them from natural decay and decomposition. Chichi stayed on board the ship, too busy to keep an eye on her son and daughter to assist. Nearby Bulma was perched at the tip of the ship's rear door, watching with tears falling down her cheeks as the others slowly brought each of their fallen friends into the ship.

Soon it was time to leave. Bulma decided she was well enough to continue flying the plane to West City hospital to get their friends medical treatment, though on more than one occasion Krillin had spotted a tear falling down her chin. Chichi had picked her daughter up for what had to have been the fifth time before finally the crying woke little Gohan up.

"Gohan, you're ok!" Chichi gasped when she realised her son was stirring, still rocking Chiri in her arms as her little boy sat up confused.

"Oh!" Gohan shot bolt upright realising what had happened last time he was conscious, though his mother held him down whilst still holding Chiri in one arm.

"It's ok sweetie, mama's here!" Chichi smiled relieved to see her son was alright. "My poor baby! You must have been so scared!"

Gohan caught sight of the baby barely contained in his mother's arms and smiled, recognising her quickly. The little baby, however, did not fully recognise her older brother and seemed a little distressed as he reached out to her.

"You should be proud, you fought a terrific battle," Master Roshi smiled.

"It's over Gohan, we won," Krillin added looking back from his seat, giving a thumbs-up to the child.

* * *

Goku was rushed into the emergency ward due to the extent of his injuries. Gohan and Krillin's injuries were not as bad so they ended up staying overnight in the recovery ward, though Yajirobe had gotten off lightly so he hadn't even needed much medical care! Chiri stayed alongside her mother in the waiting room drifting in and out of sleep. Though she did not remember much of her older brother and father, she had plenty of opportunities to see them as her mother made frequent visits over the next couple of days.

There had been a ray of hope given to the gang thanks to Kami. During the battle the Saiyans identified Piccolo as being a Namekian; an alien. What's more they'd revealed that they'd heard stories of the legendary wish-granting balls of Namek – the planet Piccolo had supposedly come from. This was fantastic news as it meant somewhere out there was Piccolo and Kami's home planet, a planet which had its own set of Dragonballs! What's more, Mr Popo had found a ship which had turned out to belong to Kami and could only have been the ship he'd arrived in when he came to Earth. After quickly checking it worked, Bulma had taken the ship to her father's compound in Capsule Corp to have it revamped and improved. The plan was for her and Krillin to journey to Namek to collect the Dragonballs to wish their friends back to life.

Chichi had been horrified when Gohan had nominated himself for the trip and had tried desperately to get control of the situation. However Gohan had other plans and in the end Chichi had no choice but to honour her son's decision. She would greatly miss her son and worry about him with every passing day but she could not deny he did seem so much like his father, so willing to go into danger to help his friends, even if his friendship was misguided as far as Chichi was concerned when it came to that evil monster Piccolo! Her mind was unsettled for the next couple of days over the decision; she was his mother, should she still try to override what he was planning to do? She'd already backed down now, a foolish mistake! Children's behaviour was governed by boundaries and rules – inconsistency in implementing these rules just meant Gohan would think he didn't have to listen to his mother! Chichi quickly vowed to herself to put some rules and respect back in place, gathering any books and work she could for her son's trip. He'd be spending a month in a spaceship anyway so he'd have plenty of time to do his homework!

On the day the ship and crew were ready to leave, the group were to meet at Kame House where Bulma had moved the ship. Chichi, Gyu Mao and Chiri all attended to see Gohan leave though they had set off a little late due to visiting Goku in the hospital just before leaving. Gohan was mortified due to his new hairstyle and it didn't take long before Krillin started to poke fun at the young boy! His new haircut resembled that of a bowl-cut, another decision Chichi'd taken to reinstall the strict and professional teaching Gohan would have to put himself through. If he was going to venture off into space and disregard her wishes then he would have to look the part! She wanted him to be well-presented and a good role-model for Earth and nothing said good role-model more than a neat and formal outfit, wonderful manners and a perfectly adorable haircut!

The ship itself was nothing like Chichi'd imagined it'd be. It was a peculiar shape and almost looked like some sort of primitive insect. It was white and had four long, thick legs which supported the body of the craft, a couple of large domed windows dotted along the middle of the craft's body. She was surprised to see the ship's door as it descended from the bottom of the craft body leaving a circular hole; it floated with no support, no hinges attached to the ship, clearly powered by some sort of magical force.

"Write to me every day," Chichi waved slightly saddened as her young son joined Krillin and Bulma onto the ship's platform.

"Good luck Gohan," Gyu Mao added as his grandson began to rise into the air as the ship's door started to ascend back into the ship.

"Bye Mother, bye Grandpa, bye Chiri!" Gohan waved with a smile as his family began to fall away from him until finally the ship's door closed.

Chiri had little clue of what was going on and seemed far more content to watching her mother cautiously from her grandfather's arms, a little anxious to see she was crying. Chiri didn't understand what was going on but seeing her mother distressed made her feel scared. The tiny toddler whimpered and started to cry much to the worry of her grandfather. "Aww look Chichi, Chiri doesn't want Gohan to leave either."

"We'd better get inside the house, this could get noisy and windy and I doubt we'd wanna be standing here when the ship takes off!" Master Roshi warned.

Chichi took her bawling daughter from her father's arms and tried to soothe her whilst making her way into Master Roshi's home along with the other spectators. Sure enough as soon as they all passed through and closed the door behind them, there was a thunderous roar as the spacecraft's engines roared into life. The ground trembled and several glasses smashed as the house violently shuddered, making Chiri cry all the more loudly. Terrified she clung to her mother tightly, fists gripping her mother's cloth as tightly as they could.

Thankfully the noise soon died down. The ship had vanished off into space. Chichi rose to her feet with her blubbering daughter and looked out the window up into the sky, praying her son would soon return to her safely...

* * *

Goku was still bedridden, though he had finally been removed from his bizarre full-bodysuit bed and had most of his bandages removed. He was relieved to finally be able to hold his baby daughter in his arms and return a well-needed and warm hug to his exhausted wife who was growing sick with worry. Currently he was bouncing Chiri on his stomach with one arm firmly tucked around her back for support. Chiri was giggling and seemed to be enjoying interacting with the man and was starting to grow used to his company.

It had been two weeks since Gohan's departure and Chichi was missing her son terribly. What if she'd forgotten to pack him some extra socks or underwear? What if he wasn't shampooing and conditioning his hair? What if something awful had happened and he was scared, alone, terrified and unable to get home? The thoughts plagued her mind and sometimes Chichi found herself in the dead of night woken from a nightmare in a cold-sweat, wondering whether what she'd dreamed had been real or not. She missed having Goku beside her; she'd have felt far more comforted with him at home beside her, there to comfort her and rest her worries. Then again she wouldn't have to worry if she'd stood her ground and been firmer with Gohan! She would not forgive herself for it; never again would she let her son override her wishes and head off into such danger! He was only a boy; he deserved to have a childhood rather than face the truly adult world of trying to help fight against villains.

"... I shouldn't have let him go..." Chichi muttered quietly to herself, continuing to automatically move her wrists in fluid motion as she knitted a shirt by her husband's bedside.

The small mutter had not gone unnoticed by her husband who turned his head to glance at his wife, finally spotting the slightly furious look on her face. Goku frowned and glanced back at his daughter who seemed indifferent to her mother's worries. Goku pulled his wife in a little closer so Chiri now sat between her father's arm and torso between him and her mother.

"He'll be back," Goku smiled at his wife; the comment earned a sharp glare from Chichi as she turned away from her work, almost throwing her knitting onto her lap as she took in a deep breath. "Don't worry Chichi," Goku continued though more cautiously than before, "He's with Bulma and Krillin. All they're doing is collecting Dragonballs to wish the others back to life. There'll be no danger there."

"I'm his mother, Goku..." Chichi huffed, "I'm going to worry..." She rose to her feet, placing her half-knitted shirt onto her chair as she perched herself onto the side of Goku's bed, Goku's arm wrapping around her waist as best he could and pulling her closer slightly, now almost squashing poor Chiri between them! Chichi picked her babbling child into her arms and sighed once more before readjusting herself so she lay next to Goku, Chiri resting on top of both her parents. "... I just wish it didn't have to be this way. He's a little boy; he should be having a childhood rather than going on perilous quests into space to bring back dead people!"

"He's got a good heart," Goku smiled. "He just wants to do something for those who helped protect him."

Chichi sighed and attempted to stifle a small smile as a thought came to her mind. "... He's a lot like his father." She muttered wryly. "He's picked up some of your bad habits rushing off and being rude to people!"

"... I'm not rude," Goku mumbled a little defensively. Movement across his chest caught his attention; Chiri was crawling up towards him though she was a little unsteady because of her parent's breathing and movement! "... She looks a lot like you, Chichi." The injured man added.

"Yeah?" Chichi asked, leaning up slightly and pulling her daughter closer to them so she rested between their heads. "... Goku, do me a favour?"

"What is it?"

"Don't ever let Piccolo kidnap Chiri! I don't want another child tainted by bad influences!"


	4. IoC Chapter 4

**Chapter 04 – Return From Namek**

It had been around six weeks since Gohan, Krillin and Bulma had ventured to Namek, and therefore it'd been six weeks since Chiri'd found herself inside a large jetcarrier venturing off to reform with their combat comrades. Now she once again found herself being held tightly in her flustered and anxious mother's arms inside a fairly large jetcarrier heading to meet up with her brother, Bulma and the other survivors of Namek. Her father had fully recovered from his injuries just over a week ago, thanks to a senzu bean delivered by Yajirobe. Once dressed, he'd then dashed off for Namek upon hearing the terrific dangers his son, Bulma and Krillin were in. Terrible powers had been on Namek and the native Namekian people – Piccolo's people – were all being wiped out by the monstrous overlord Freeza and his henchmen.

It was almost as if her father had vanished as quickly as he'd appeared into the young toddler's life, not that she had much awareness of his appearance and departure.

Chiri cooed as she was placed down on the seat, her mother apparently restless enough to approach the pilot of the ship Dr Brief, who'd been kind enough to fly her to where Bulma and Gohan were located. "Faster! Come on!" Chichi snapped into his ear making the scientist jolt! "I can walk faster than this thing!"

The aging man didn't respond with words, just an audible groan as his cigarette almost slipped from his lips. How Goku or any of his daughter's friends put up with this incessant screaming at them, he did not know! Chichi seemed worse than his daughter – and the scientist had always depicted his daughter as loud and demanding!

Around an hour ago they'd received a call from Bulma to let them know she and Gohan had returned to Earth thanks to the Namekian Dragonballs. A fair few Namekians were also with them and were now without a planet and without a place to stay! Bulma had been kind enough to suggest the group of visitors could stay at her home; this was something Dr Brief himself was happy to agree with although he had to question just how large or small this Namekian population would be as his daughter had skipped on the details!

Goku'd chosen to remain on the dying planet to fight the tyrant Freeza to the end. It had infuriated her when she'd first heard that her husband was choosing to remain on a dying planet to fight some random, strong alien monster rather than come back to his family! The news of her husband's impending death quickly faded from her mind; Chichi's main priority was making sure her son was alright! It was the second time in a year Goku would have died so it wasn't like she was well prepared for that outcome, no matter how much she knew it would hurt her once the event had taken place. Right now she was once again being governed by her maternal instincts to protect her babies from any harm that may befall them. Just as she had been with Piccolo, nothing mattered to Chichi more than to being reunited with her son.

The craft finally closed in on the area Bulma'd called from, Dr Brief only just spotting the group largely consisted of green aliens unsurprisingly similar to Piccolo. The ground below was covered in thick green trees which were only broken by the small meadows, lush grass blowing and threatening to de-root as the craft came in to land. Dotted amongst the small opening in the forest were a small crowd, mostly consisting of men who looked remarkably similar to Piccolo! Chichi's eyes quickly washed over the sea of green aliens, shudders going down her spine at the reminder that each and every one of them could be as cruel as Piccolo! Her son was down there somewhere!

"And... Touchdown!" Dr Brief announced as the ship gave a violent shudder, the engine's roars dying down signalling the craft had successfully landed. He pressed one of the many switches before him, opening the rear door of the craft. Before he knew it Chichi had bolted out of the craft, Chiri tightly in tow and clinging to her mother for dear life, eyes firmly clamped shut! She could hear her mother's heart pounding in her ear!

"Gohan! Gohan?!" Chichi cried as she rushed into the middle of the large crowd of startled and amazed Namekians! Ignoring the many eyes on her Chichi glanced around, spotting a small shoulder protector poking out from behind one of the trees to her right. Hopeful she bolted again, throwing grass from their roots as she bounded over to the tree, eyes falling upon her son who was actually wearing Saiyan armour! She'd ask later, right now she was just so relieved to see her son. "Gohan, you're ok!" She beamed.

Gohan sheepishly got up and started to rub the back of his head bashfully, "Yeah, that's me." He smiled avoiding eve contact.

"My son!" Chichi sighed relieved, pulling her son into a small one-armed hug. The boy noticed Chiri as soon as her face was pressed against his and smiled. It had been a relief to see her after so long; it had been a relief to see green grass and blue sky and green leaves and to smell the forest around him. He'd been through a lot since he'd left Earth and had experienced some terrifying battles and now it was finally over for him. His father would beat Freeza and hopefully return safely to deal with Vegeta, who'd been accidentally wished back to life!

"Look at you!" Chichi pulled back horrified. "What are you wearing?!"

"Don't worry Mother, this is just some armour Vegeta gave Krillin and I. it was to protect us," Gohan explained, his heart throbbing when he recalled Krillin's fate. The man had been like an uncle to him and had really looked out for Gohan; it was awful that in the end the poor guy had been killed by Freeza. If it hadn't been for Namek's Dragonballs being able to wish people back to life more than once, he'd be permanently gone. They had one-hundred-and-thirty days before the Namekian Dragonballs would become active once more and then they could use their three wishes to bring at least some of the guys waiting with Kaio back to life. That had been the reason they'd journeyed to the planet in the first place.

"As soon as we get home, you'll get out of those!" Chichi protested. "Did you do your homework like I asked you to do?"

* * *

Just over four months had passed since Gohan and Bulma's return from Namek. Chiri found herself sitting in a baby chair beside her older brother, their mother was driving them across the plains somewhere located between their home and West City. Chiri had recently turned two and was now starting to attempt walking unaided and speaking legitimate words people could understand! It was a joy to the small child to be understood and to be able to communicate with her mother and brother and grandfather, one she was currently making the most of as every time they passed something she could name, Chiri pointed and spoke the name! It became rather humorous as several birds were spotted in a group of trees and Chiri attempted to account for each and every one of them!

The journey across the continent had been long so Gohan was hoping this meant they'd be there soon! Today was to be an important day. Today they would be able to wish back some more of their friends as the Namekian Dragonballs had recharged themselves. Gohan hoped he would be able to be reunited with Krillin and his father, he had eagerly waited for this day. Once again his family would be together again.

In the end the family of three made it just in time; those who'd gathered at Capsule Corp to watch the summoning had thankfully been patient enough to wait for them!

The Namekian's equivalent of Shenron – Porunga – was summoned via a Namekian password spoken by the tiny Namekian child Dende, whom Gohan had become good friends with. Chiri could sense something dramatic was happening due to the large amount of people amongst her, her mother and brother, so grew restless and fearful when the gigantic bolt of light shot up into the sky! It had shocked her so much she'd burst into tears and hidden her face within her mother's clothes!

"Don't cry Chiri, it's only Porunga," Gohan smiled speaking as loud as he could over the terrible roar of Porunga's formation. The large lizard-like dragon towered over the tall buildings of West City, his gigantic arms hung beside his strong sturdy upper half. He was of a different shape to Shenron, far more humanoid and muscular whereas Shenron appeared to be modelled after a serpent-type dragon. Chiri dared to open one eye for the smallest of seconds, double-taking when she saw just how big and scary this dragon looked and burrowing her face even deeper into her mother!

"The real Shenron is huge!" Bulma exclaimed over the roar.

"_State your first wish and I shall grant it,"_ Porunga's deep booming voice sent vibrations through the ground and throughout Chiri's entire body. The child had never heard such a loud and roaring voice, even clamping her hands over her ears did nothing to quieten the dragon!

Once the Namekian elder had expressed his desire to let the Earthlings bring back their dead and had been thanked, Dende relayed the first wish to move Krillin and Goku's souls to the check-in station for Earth. The dragon obliged but what he had to announce shocked everyone.

"_The one called Krillin has been moved but I cannot summon the soul of the other."_

"What?" Gohan gasped in despair. "Oh no!"

"Why not?" Bulma demanded looking just as shocked as Gohan!

Chiri looked up at her mother whose jaw had dropped. "Mama?" She cooed reaching up to grab a lock of her mother's hair. "What goin' on?"

"Not now Chiri," Chichi responded bouncing the toddler in her arms, Chiri pouting since she didn't get a proper answer.

"_I cannot summon the soul of one who is alive,"_ Porunga responded to Bulma's question.

The crowd went quiet.

"... Alive?" Gohan repeated stumped. "... Dad's alive?" A huge smile appeared on his face and his tone changed. "Dad's alive!"

The small gathering began to cheer and jump in celebration; all were overjoyed to find out Goku hadn't died. They'd all feared the worse when Kaio had announced Namek had exploded because of Freeza; Goku'd most likely been caught in the explosion and unable to escape in time. Yet this left so many questions raced through Gohan's mind; just how had his father escaped? Why had he not returned to Earth yet? How had he finally defeated Freeza? The joy almost overwhelmed the excited child and he grabbed hold of his nervous sister's hands. "Our dad's alive, Chiri!" He beamed.

A little smile appeared on Chiri's face though this was mostly due to her brother smiling back at her! She still had little to no memory of the man he spoke of, so it was natural not to feel much over the news of him being alive!

"Alright," Bulma grinned, breaking through the cheers of the others. "Hold on guys... If Goku's alive then why hasn't he come back yet?"

"Maybe his spaceship's broken?" Gohan suggested.

"Ask Porunga to summon him," Muri – the Namekian elder and leader – spoke out.

"Yeah, that's a great idea," Bulma smiled hopeful, turning back to face Dende. "Alright, wish number two: bring Krillin back to life!"

Dende spoke out to the gigantic lizard-like dragon hovering above them. Chiri had grown a little more brave and attempted to look at the dragon before her. The sudden appearance of a bald man before them startled her and she almost fell out of her mother's arms! A stunned and confused Krillin stood before the group, surprised to see he was indeed alive!

"Now for the final wish," Bulma declared once the initial celebration of Krillin's revival was over. "Bring Son Goku here!"

The burly dragon stared down for a couple of moments, his glare terrifyingly intimidating.

"_He refuses." _He finally spoke. _"Son Goku says he will return when he is ready."_

"R-Refuses?" Gohan repeated baffled. "... But why?"

"I know why!" Master Roshi gasped loudly, suddenly becoming far more animated. "He doesn't want to come home because there is something even more terrifying to a Super Saiyan than Freeza – his own wife!"

Chiri felt her mother's arm muscles tense at the comment; she herself was clueless as to why but she sensed the bloodlust. Before she knew it she was being placed in her brother's arms, Gohan a little uncomfortable and nervous having to hold his two-year old sister. He was far more concerned with the fury in his mother's eyes!

"What?!" Chichi's shrill shout echoed as she suddenly pulled out a sword from seemingly out of nowhere, eyes piercing upon Roshi who was suddenly cowering and explaining his joke!

"Mama stick," Chiri babbled to Gohan who nodded nervously, not daring to correct his sister and allow her to know how dangerous the weapon their mother held was!

"I haven't seen that sword in a while," He mumbled quietly to his little sister.

"What are you trying to say?!" Chichi snapped at the aging master of martial arts. "My husband is too scared to return home because of _me_?! What could you possibly even mean by that?! Answer me!"

"I-It's no-nothing Chichi!" Master Roshi flustered. "It was only meant as a joke! You know, the strongest fighter in the universe can take down the most powerful foe but cannot face coming home to such a... well..."

"I think you should just stop before you dig yourself too far and find the core," Bulma muttered wryly to the old man. She could see why Roshi had said such a thing: Chichi could be pretty intimidating when provoked – such as right now! Knowing she'd been against her son travelling into space in the first place and finding out her husband was once again deciding to stay away from his family couldn't have been easy for Chichi to hear, Bulma thought. Still Goku was Goku; he would return when the time was right... wouldn't he?

"Let him be," Piccolo spoke over the flabbergasted murmurs of the crowd and over the dark-haired woman's barks. "If he says he'll return then leave him alone; don't we still have other people to wish back to life?"

In the end the group was instructed by Kaio to wish back Yamcha, whom Bulma was overjoyed to see once again. Chiri hid behind her brother on unsteady feet as Porunga vanished, the Dragonballs bolting up into the air with a flash – Mori threw one hand out and shouted out something in a language Chiri did not understand - Namekian. The seven glowing balls of light suddenly fell back down to the ground before them, each landing with a terrific boom!

"There, now we won't have to gather the Dragonballs in one-hundred-and-thirty days," He smiled pleased.

* * *

Another one-hundred-and-thirty days passed before Porunga was summoned once more. This time the first two wishes were used to revive Tenshinhan and his comrade Chaozu. The third wish was used to transport all the Namekians minus Piccolo to a new planet which they'd located. Gohan had been sad to see Dende leave and had shed a small tear once they'd gotten home.

A further couple of months passed and still their father had not returned home. Most of their family life had returned to normal; Gohan was back to studying for most hours of the day whilst Chiri found herself becoming more mobile. She would often venture out of the house under the watchful eye of her grandfather who'd take her for small walks through the forest. Once day he had come to do this very thing and thankfully Gohan had been allowed to join them! The giant man led his two grandchildren through one of the many forest walks sticking to the path laid out by nature. The breeze was quite refreshing though every-so-often there was a small chill present within it. The leaves were starting to brown as the autumn drove the summer away, falling from the trees and coating the ground in a patchwork of colours and textures.

Gohan trotted on ahead a little, finding a sudden interest in one of the many types of trees that dotted the shaded pathway.

"Not too far, Gohan," Gyu Mao called.

"Don't worry Grandpa, I won't disappear," Gohan called back over his shoulder, stopping in front of a particularly thick-trunked tree. This tree was a little taller than those surrounding it and towered over the rest of the forest.

Chiri was determined to walk unaided and shied away from her grandfather every time he offered to give her a piggy back or pick her up in his strong arms. She wanted to be able to walk like her big brother Gohan was allowed to! The crispness of the leaves snapping under her feet was highly entertaining for the small child and she took pleasure in making sure she stepped on every leaf that fell before her eyes! Her excitement got the better of her and she rushed forwards on unsteady feet, determined to step on as many leaves as she could!

"Look Chiri," Gohan pointed as his sister approached with a small run, though she almost stumbled over at one point! "Isn't it huge?"

"Big," Chiri nodded craning her neck to stare up the length of the tree, almost toppling over from leaning back too far!

"C-Careful Chiri, you're a little too small to be looking up so far back!" Gyu Mao chuckled offering his granddaughter a supportive hand which was only brushed back by the toddler.

"No," Chiri pouted stubbornly. "No hewp!"

The group moved on after a while and soon the trail was leading them back home. Chiri had since found an interest in a couple of the larger leaves still hanging onto their branches and with some help from Gohan, who'd held down the lower branches so his sister could hand-pick the ones she wanted, she'd placed them in her small makeshift bag for her collection. A couple of berries had also caught her attention but both her grandfather and brother had warned her not to pick them because of how poisonous they were. Chiri had protested and started to wail much to her grandfather's distress, though Gohan had managed to distract her with a pretty feather he'd found laying not too far away on the ground! Chiri'd stopped crying once he'd announced he was giving it to her as a gift!

As home appeared at the end of the pathway, Chiri broke into a run. She could see her mother's head bobbing around from the kitchen window and was excited and eager to show her all the gifts and things she'd collected! "Mama!" She called. Once she reached the door she stopped, suddenly a little stuck as she was not tall enough to reach the door handle and open it! She'd either have to wait for her brother or grandpa to open it for her, or she'd have to call to her mother until the door opened.

"I'll get it for you," Gohan smiled, he'd trotted up after his little sister. "Want to open the door by yourself, Chiri?"

Chiri gave a determined nod, lower lip curling with a small pout. Gohan grabbed hold of her underneath the arms and lifted the girl up so she was now level with the door. Despite getting help Chiri was happy to be able to reach the door knob and turned it, keeping a hold of it as Gohan took a couple of steps back to open the door. "Mama," Chiri called as she finally released the door, desperate to get out of her brother's grasp so she could rush up to her mother on her own feet. "Mama, we home!"

Chichi peered over her shoulder and smiled as her children appeared through the doorway, "Did you have a good walk with your grandfather? Talking of which, where is... Oh, there!" She stopped in mid-sentence as Gyu Mao finally appeared, having to crouch under the top of the doorframe to get into the house! "I thought they'd left you in the dust!"

"Mama, lots of things!" Chiri scrambled into her small bag and pulled out a couple of leaves, almost crushing them in her grasp. "Gohan gave me!" She shoved the leaves back into her bag and fondled around for the soft feather Gohan had given her, showing it to her mother who simply smiled and nodded.

"Looks like your mother's busy cooking us our dinner," Gyu Mao chuckled as a slightly dejected Chiri slowly dropped her hand and lost a little enthusiasm. "Why don't we help her?"

"No, it's almost done," Chichi shook her head. "Instead you can all get washed up and ready for the table! Dinner will be ready in ten minutes! Make sure you help Chiri clean up, Gohan."

"Okay Mother," Gohan nodded, taking Chiri's hand and leading her into the front room. "We'll need to leave your things here for the moment. We've gotta get ready for dinner!"

Chiri nodded and removed her bag from her shoulder, a little anxious to leave it by itself but certain it probably wouldn't walk off. She rushed off ahead into the bathroom, grabbing onto the stall she used to reach over the sink and jumping on the spot, hands clasped to the sink rim as she eagerly awaited Gohan to switch the tap on; she was far too short to reach it!

"Gohan!" She called after a while; Gohan had not appeared but she could hear the sounds of soft things landing with a small thump on the floor. Gohan and Gyu Mao finally both appeared carrying a small pile of towels between them; three hand towels.

The splash of cold water on her hands and face made Chiri feel very refreshed and she made sure to thoroughly scrub her hands in soap as her mother had taught her. She could smell the delicious foods being taken out of the oven, their mouth-watering scents reaching her sensitive nose and calling out to her stomach. Once she had been cleaned up properly, Chiri bounded back into the kitchen where her mother was preparing the rice.

"Not so fast, Chiri!" Gyu Mao rushed around the corner, picking his grandchild up and placing her into her special seat; one of the regular seats had two cushions placed on top which were kept in place by two additional arm rests so Chiri could sit at the table with the rest of her family. She'd grown out of her baby seat and was eager to show everyone how grown up she was by sitting in the same chairs they did, minus the arm rests!

Gohan soon emerged and assisted his grandfather in setting the table and making drinks for everyone. Chiri would help if she could but her mother had forbidden her to try and assist until she was three! Chiri couldn't disobey her mother; she knew better than that, so instead she quietly waited to become old enough.

"Dinner's ready," Chichi smiled finally placing the final plate onto the table before them. "Tuck in!"


	5. IoC Chapter 5

**Chapter 05 – Secrets**

It had been six months since the Namekian people had left Earth. Winter had now set in and often a chilly northern or north-western wind would bring the temperature down, though it wouldn't be cold enough for there to be snow. The mountains to the north may sometimes have a white tip to them, Chiri noticed, though she was absolutely forbidden to venture off to them to see what the white was. Her brother had shown her snow in some of his books and Chiri found it fascinating to watch the white caps grow bigger then suddenly vanish one morning! One day she would be old enough to ride on Kinto'un like her brother and see the world. Every-so-often Gohan'd sneak out of his room to visit some friends, though Chiri'd have to keep it secret from mother. She didn't like keeping secrets from mother but she loved her brother, so she kept her mouth closed. She had her own things to be doing such as venturing into the woods immediately outside their home. Sometimes she'd be around the other side of the house, watching the fish swim up the stream that ran past their home. She eagerly waited for the days her grandfather would visit, then she could go further away from home and do fun things like fishing and swimming and bug collecting!

One morning Gohan had managed to earn some free time after his studying, he had been allowed to take Chiri into the woods by themselves without their grandfather. He'd been thoroughly warned if anything were to happen to Chiri or him, Chichi promised she would never let them out of her sight again! Although he usually loved to take small walks and adventures with his little sister, this time Gohan had something different in mind. He hadn't been able to visit Piccolo as often as he'd wanted and had grown a little restless as a result of it.

"Where we goin', Gohan?" Chiri asked after a while, the pathway they'd chosen was a smaller one but one Chiri knew well. It would eventually lead them into a small clearing in the woods with a tree stump centred in the small meadow. She'd come along this path in search of feathers and sticks for her makeshift hut, though often she would need some rope to keep it from falling down!

"We're almost there," Gohan replied. "Are you keeping up ok?"

"I'm fine," Chiri nodded sternly.

Sure enough the clearing soon appeared before them. Indeed this was where Gohan had chosen to visit although it was not for collecting like Chiri had thought. Not being able to pick up objects of interest quickly upset the toddler, until Gohan told her what he was about to show her was to be a secret between her and him and they were not to tell their mother. Once again Chiri felt the fear hit her as she imagined her mother finding out, though Gohan promised her everything would be alright.

The two ended up sitting upon the tree stump watching the naked tree branches sway in the wind; the small clearing was surrounded by trees so thankfully the two children were sheltered from the brunt of the western wind. Quickly conversation turned to their father as Gohan remembered about him whilst looking up past the sky. "... I wonder where our father is."

Chiri glanced at her brother and shrugged her shoulders unsure of what to say. She did not have many memories of the man that she was aware of and would often look at pictures upon the mantelpiece of when she was a baby; one in particular showed the entire family all happy and together. His hair was his most defining feature and would usually put a smile on Chiri's face every time she saw it. It was unruly and stuck out in odd directions, much like Gohan's was starting to! His dark eyes were bright and kind and Chiri could only imagine they were as wonderful and pure as her older brother's; Gohan did seem to take after their father in looks. Her older brother spoke many wonderful things about their dad and would often tell his sister of tales of their father, Chiri would listen intently and be amazed at how wonderful and strong their father was. She desperately wanted to meet him in real life; he sounded like a superhero or an angel!

"Dad and Piccolo saved me when I was around your age from this evil monster," Gohan smiled breaking the silence, though he was not yet ready to let his little sister know that monster was actually their uncle! Some things were better left unsaid right now. "He sacrificed himself to save me and died. Piccolo then taught me how to fight just like him and dad. If it weren't for Piccolo, I wouldn't be able to fly or to fight so really I owe Mr Piccolo a lot!"

Chiri frowned, "... I wanna fly." She mumbled after a while, much to Gohan's amusement.

"I thought you'd say that!" The young boy chuckled. "That's the reason why we're out here today. I was going to see if you wanted to learn how to fly?"

Chiri's head snapped around, her face lit up with excitement at the thought of being able to soar like a bird. "Yes please!" She eagerly nodded leaping to her feet and jumping on the spot energetically, which only made Gohan laugh harder. "Fly! Fly!" She cheered in excitement.

"Alright but this isn't gonna be easy," Gohan got to his feet pleased to see his sister was as eager to learn as he'd anticipated. From the interactions he'd had with her, she definitely was full of energy and seemed to enjoy learning new things.

The two spent the next hour or so in the same clearing, Gohan attempting to get his sister to control the inner energy inside of her. Chiri quickly become frustrated as soon as she realised it was not as easy as she'd assumed and had burst into tears on more than one occasion, which flustered her poor brother! Thankfully Gohan was a boy of patience and persistence and although at the end of her first lesson Chiri wasn't able to levitate, she seemed a little pleased she'd started to feel the weird energy inside of her slowly move to her will. Gohan had also mentioned he'd felt her ki – what he said the strange energy was called – rise and fall slightly which seemed to suggest she was doing well.

The two siblings rushed back home, Chiri now feeling a little more grown up and hoping she'd soon be able to control her energy. She was pleased to be spending time with her brother; she didn't get many opportunities because of Gohan's studies and her mother. Naturally she would have wanted to share the news of her day's work with Chichi but was quickly reminded by Gohan it was to stay secret!

For the next couple of months or so, Gohan and Chiri would secretly go out to train without their mother's knowledge. Chiri soon picked up onto how to control her energy at will and was eventually able to hover and fly slightly, albeit for a short space of time. Gohan had even started teaching her how to control her energy and get it to emerge through balls of ki, something Chiri found both fascinating and terrifying! Once Gohan had explained it wasn't going to hurt or burn her if she managed to form the ki successfully, Chiri became more willing to try.

The months flew by and before they knew it a year had passed since the Namekians had left Earth. The seasons had changed and the leaves had long returned to the trees of their home forest. The pink and white blossoms had gone and now fruits were beginning to appear once again on the trees and bushes of the lush and dense forest. Chiri stared out of her bedroom window and sighed disheartened. Her mother had forbidden her to venture outside because of a small accident she'd had the other day involving a large pot of rice smashing all across the kitchen floor. Chichi hadn't questioned how the rice which had been sitting on the top of one of the cupboards had fallen and how Chiri'd managed to grab it; in reality the girl had been practicing her levitation and had underestimated the weight of the pot as it slipped from her hands. The accident had landed her in a heap of trouble, especially since Chiri wasn't supposed to be in the kitchen without supervision!

She was supposed to be reading one of her educational books as her mother had instructed but her mind lay elsewhere. Outside her open window she could hear birds chirping and the wind slowly blowing through the trees and across the grass, her curtains dancing lightly as the wind entered her room gently. Chiri wished she was outside and had been tempted to leave her room, as Gohan had done on many occasions, yet the fear of her mother's temper kept her stuck to her seat.

Chiri perked up suddenly, eyes fixating out the window. She could have sworn she heard something drop...

A sudden flash of white shocked the girl and she rushed to her window, stunned to see Gohan flying off into the distance wearing those bizarre Saiyan clothes he'd shown her once before. She'd never seen him wearing them because her mother hated them. Confusion and concern hit the child; she wondered where Gohan was going.

"Gohan! Get back here!" Her mother's loud shout made Chiri shake and she immediately rushed back to her desk and kept her eyes firmly peeled on her book. Gohan would surely be in trouble later and she didn't want to be joining him!

* * *

The sun had started to set by the time Chiri had been allowed to finish her punishment, Chiri relieved to be allowed to do something more entertaining. She decided to stay in her room and organise her collection from the forest which was now starting to become a small but cluttered pile in the corner of her room. Chiri sat herself down on the floor and started to organise her findings into separate piles; one for leaves, one for feathers, one for cones and nuts, and another for rocks and twigs. On more than one occasion she found a small bug hiding amongst the rubble and cautiously set them free upon her window ledge. Just as she was setting yet another ladybird free, she noticed three bright dots on the horizon. Her mind became entranced and she watched them for a moment, realising they were heading over in their direction.

Her curiosity got the better of her and although she knew it was very bad manners, Chiri grabbed her chair and brought it to her windowsill, climbing out of her window via the chair and landing on the floor; thankfully her bedroom was on the bottom level of their home so it wasn't a big drop. As soon as she landed she took a couple more steps across the grass, eyes still peeled on the three dots. She remembered something her brother taught her to do and tried to concentrate. Quickly she picked up on one of the dot's ki levels and smiled in relief, though it was short-lived as she remembered the trouble her brother was about to be in! Indeed one was Gohan. She thought she may have recognised one of the other two but couldn't be sure; the third was a mystery to her. She didn't recognise it at all!

Knowing it was the best way for her to travel, Chiri hurriedly rushed into the forest, albeit not too far in so she could keep an eye on the three approaching people. In a small but clear voice she called out, "Kinto'un!" She didn't shout too loudly in case her mother heard her; Chiri wouldn't be allowed to fly on the cloud at this time of day and Chichi'd no doubt assume her daughter was running off. Chiri wasn't even sure if the cloud would come considering how quietly she'd called it.

It didn't come. Chiri waited for a moment and contemplated shouting instead. However the fear of her mother's temper and already having been in trouble today stopped her, instead she chose to walk back into the clearing and wait for her brother to land. By the time she'd walked back into the open field beside their house, the three dots had grown much larger and she could just make out the figures of the three people. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she recognised one of the others; indeed it had been Piccolo beside her brother! The other person was a man with dark hair wearing something black over his torso with long white sleeves. Chiri had no idea who he was.

"Chiri!" Her brother waved as he landed on the grass before his little sister. He was definitely wearing the Saiyan armour Chiri'd seen before. "Does mother know you're not in your room?"

"I finished," Chiri replied, eyes falling upon the towering Namekian whose piercing glare made her inch a little closer to Gohan. She found Piccolo to be pretty scary and her mother's stories about him hadn't helped her grow used to him no matter what her brother said! "Gohan you're gonna be told off. Mama saw you go."

"I had a feeling I'd been spotted," Gohan sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll forget all about it when she sees who you've brought back with you!" The tall man who Chiri'd mostly ignored spoke; his voice was soft and full of humour. Chiri took a quick glance and then double-took. Her jaw opened slightly agape as her eyes fell upon the man's face and hair. It was the man from their family photos!

The man had noticed the girl as soon as they'd closed in on home and smiled at her, "Gosh is that really Chiri? She's so grown up compared to when I saw her last!" He grinned.

"... Daddy?" Chiri asked uncertain it definitely was him.

Before Goku could even respond, the sound of a door cracking open diverted all eyes towards the house. Chichi stood between them and the entrance to the kitchen; the immediate look of fury on her face completely vanished as she spotted Goku standing amongst the group. Her jaw dropped and she took a couple of shaky steps forward looking as if she'd seen a ghost!

"Hi Chichi," Goku greeted her, knowing there was little else to say right now.

"Goku? ... You're back!" Chichi shrieked with joy, rushing forwards and leaping into her husband's arms as she threw her own around his neck, laughing in disbelief and happiness. Chiri'd never seen her mother look so happy and was amazed that she hadn't even made a move to tell Gohan off yet! She hadn't even fully acknowledged Piccolo's presence yet!

"Sorry to cut this short Chichi but there's something we need to discuss," Goku awkwardly spoke out, a little reluctant to talk because he knew ultimately his wife would probably not be pleased with his proposal. "Also I hate to bring it up now but by any chance are you cooking dinner? I'm a little hungry and it's been ages since I've tasted your delicious home-cooked meals!"

"You goof! Of course I'm cooking dinner, though we might not have enough!" Chichi wiped away a stubborn tear, grasping hold of her husband's hand with one of her own. "Come on, I'll get something extra started." She took a quick glance to Gohan, "Don't think you're not in trouble young man!"

"Aww," Gohan frowned nervously looking down at his feet. He was hoping she'd have forgotten!

"...What's Piccolo doing here?!" Finally Chichi'd noticed the Namekian warrior standing amongst their family, instinct kicking in and she made a dash to grab hold of her daughter.

"Don't worry, Piccolo doesn't mean any harm, Mother," Gohan tried to calm her down but it was of little use.

"Sorry but he's here for a reason, I'll explain it when we get inside," Goku ushered his wife towards the door, quickly hanging back with Piccolo to mention something before he joined his now infuriated wife and son indoors! The family ended up in the living room and Goku began to explain the situation to his wife, Chiri listening in but not really understanding as she stood beside her mother.

The news was grim. Gohan had rushed off because of the return of Freeza; the monster Goku had apparently defeated over a year ago on Namek had survived and grown stronger and had also brought his father along to destroy Earth. Goku explained how a boy from the future had arrived and defeated Freeza, his father and their army before Goku had arrived, and had then explained his true reasoning for appearing to them. In three years time, two murderous androids were supposed to appear on Earth seeking revenge for the fall of the Red Ribbon Army. According to the boy, every single fighter the Earth had would be wiped out in the initial strike, save for Gohan, who would then dedicate his life trying to defeat these androids though ultimately he would also fall. The boy had come to warn Goku and his friends of the oncoming threat but also to serve another purpose. Goku was soon to die of a heart virus and the boy had returned with an antidote which currently did not exist. He had been told that perhaps Goku could make all the difference and had then returned back to his own time. This meant that Goku and his friends had three years to prepare for the androids and attempt to save the planet.

The story went clean over Chiri's head and she long grew bored and restless, taking more interest in glancing up at the ceiling until Gohan nudged her! Chichi however had paid much attention and was not looking too pleased by the time Goku'd finished. "... So, what? You're saying you'll be spending the next three years training instead of getting a job?! Well fine, I guess I can't stop you of all people but you keep our kids out of it! Gohan and Chiri both have studying to do!"

"Um..." Goku quietly spoke out. "... Actually Chichi, I was kinda hoping you'd let me train Gohan..."

"... Maybe Chiri too..." Gohan suggested in an even quieter voice than his father's, though it was loud enough for Goku – and unfortunately Chichi – to hear.

Chiri's head shot up with excitement, a large smile crept across her face. She was going to train as in what her brother had done? She couldn't believe it, it all sounded so exciting to her! She'd train and then help to save the world against monsters just like her father and brother had done!

Chichi's temper boiled over and she snapped. "Enough! This is getting ridiculous!" She bellowed causing her husband and two children to flinch! "How much longer will you interfere with Gohan's education? You want to make him stronger? No thanks, Goku! You keep it to yourself and Piccolo, don't drag Gohan back into it and don't you dare taint Chiri with your training!"

"B-But Chichi, we need Gohan's help," Goku explained. "I know education is important but the Earth could be wiped out in a couple of years!"

"What do you know about education?! You don't even have a job!" Chichi spat. "Have you ever earned a zeni since we've been married?!"

"Th-That's beside the point," Goku sheepishly replied. "There's a bigger problem now and Gohan wants to fight too..."

"I wanna fight too!" Chiri added.

"Chiri don't spout off such nonsense!" Chichi's firm tone sent Chiri back to cowering and remaining quiet. She did not want to incur the wrath of her mother anymore! "I will not have this! Gohan and Chiri will not be fighting, they have education and that's final!"

"A-Are you saying that you care more for Gohan and Chiri's educations than the future...?" Goku asked gobsmacked.

"You bet I do!" Chichi answered fiercely. "I don't care what happens in three years time or whatever – our babies are going to get an education!"

Goku stifled a laugh and gently patted his wife on the back, "You're crazy!"

The gentle pat on the back had not been as gentle as intended. Chichi was sent flying through the outer wall of the house, through a nearby tree until she struck a fairly sturdy rock!

The move had shocked everyone who remained in the house. Chiri stared through the hole in the wall in horror, was her mother alright? What would happen if she was ok; how much trouble was her father now in?

As he had remembered he could move, Goku made a quick dash to the door and rushed over to his wife, "Chichi, I'm so sorry! I meant to go easy on you but I've gotten so strong...!"

"Dad's going to be in trouble," Gohan gulped nervously. "We should help."

The trio managed to retrieve Chichi back into the house and started to give her first aid, practically wrapping her up in bandages. Goku was working as carefully as he could to wrap a bandage around his wife's head. Gohan was assisting Chiri with another bandage to hold their mother's broken arm in a sling, neither child daring to speak.

"I give up..." Chichi muttered quietly. "It's always the women who have to cry at home! In three years time when this is all over, Goku, you _will_ be quitting martial arts!"

"I'm so sorry Chichi, I should have been more careful..." Goku apologised yet again feeling awful about the whole incident. He did notice the small smile both his children passed each other; both seemed pleased with the outcome even if at this current moment in time they would not express it, not in front of their mother. It wouldn't be an easy three years and Goku initially had not thought of training Chiri until Gohan had expressed it could be a good idea on the way home. He'd been surprised to hear Gohan had taken to teaching his little sister basic ki control and slightly proud of his son for taking such an interest after all. Goku was certain Gohan would give it everything he had; he knew the boy would want to help his friends just like he'd shown on Namek.

He was interested to see how Chiri would react.


	6. IoC Chapter 6

**Chapter 06 – The Fateful Camping Trip**

Age 765

It had been a year since the training preparations for the foreboding androids had begun. The Earth's warriors had all gone about their training in varied ways, some choosing to train themselves at their own pace, others choosing to train together and spar with friends and family. For the past year, Goku and Piccolo had trained together, spending much time sparring and competing. They were often joined by Goku's son, Gohan, as well as his daughter, Chiri. Whilst Chichi did not approve of her children's participation, she kept her thoughts bubbling away quietly inside her mind knowing at the end of the day, resisting Goku's training wishes was futile, especially when her children were willing to take part in the training.

Of course they weren't the only ones training. Yamcha had taken off somewhere into the wilderness to better himself. Tenshinhan and Chaozu constantly trained across many different terrains moving from place to place every-so-often. Krillin had spent most of his time training on Kame House island, albeit he'd often come to visit Goku and his family on their days off. The Saiyan Vegeta had continued to use the facilities at Capsule Corporation, harassing and bullying Dr Brief into creating better, faster, stronger equipment for him to train with. Recent frustrations had seen the Prince make a dash off into space where he would surely continue his training... if he planned to return at all.

The sun was shining brightly over the small cottage situated in the Mount Paozu area of East District Four-Three-Nine, the midday sun beaming down and broke as it hit the leaves of the trees, shards of light trickling down to the forest floor sheltered from the full brunt of the summer heat that had hit the area recently. Inside the house, several fans were attempting to cool the internal temperature of the building down, thankfully keeping the woman of the house's temper at bay. She was feeling rather smug this morning after convincing her husband that their children needed a break from training and instead needed to do some homework! The children in question had both returned to their rooms after breakfast and were busily completing the work Chichi had set out for them. Recently she'd got her son signed up to a distance learning tutorage who would send her the work through post. Once each topic was completed and the child had been assessed, Chichi would send the work back and await her children's results. As expected, Gohan was doing amazingly well. However, Chiri was a different story. She was only four so didn't qualify for the course Gohan was on. Technically she wasn't even of school age! Still, as she had done with Gohan, Chichi had made sure to give her daughter an early start and have her hitting the books as soon as she could read them!

Whilst she knew of what her two children would be getting up to during the day, the same couldn't quite be said for her husband, Goku. Last she'd seen him, he and Krillin had gone out fishing or something and wouldn't be back until afternoon. This left her to sort out her own routine. Finding most of her normal tasks done for the day, she decided to kick back and relax and read a book on the sofa. When she'd grown tired of that, Chichi had searched for her photo albums certain that she'd recently taken some photographs that needed sorting into different books. A couple of days ago – on another of her family's rest days - she, her husband and their children had gone to the beach. It was a journey that had taken them a couple of hours by Kinto'un, a mode of transport deemed quicker than by road. Getting to unwind and relax with her family and husband was something Chichi hadn't done in a while, not since shortly before Raditz's arrival! Had it really been three years?

Chichi frowned at the realisation. "... I'll have to drag them away from training more often," She muttered to herself, determined not to let the last possible two years of her life be dominated by her family's absence!

* * *

Upon their return mid-afternoon, Goku seemed to be in high spirits, Krillin trailing past the Saiyan fighter and greeting Chichi with an air of fear. Sensing his father's return, Gohan emerged from his room cheerfully and rushed up to his father, "You're back! Are we going to do any training now, dad?" His tail flickered under his surcoat with anticipation. Although he and his family were now aware of the dangers of keeping their tails, Gohan's had recently grown back and although he was aware it would have to be removed, the next full moon was not due for another couple of weeks... and he felt a little attached to it! Having it removed was necessary but Gohan still could not get used to the idea of someone chopping off one of his limbs; his father could sympathise! He was holding the event off for as long as he could, despite what Piccolo repeatedly told him! Gohan knew sooner or later it would have to go, no doubt by Piccolo's hand.

"Gohan!" Chichi snapped wanting to halt any talk of training immediately. "Have you finished all the work I set you?" She demanded.

A frown emerged on her son's face as he averted his eyes to the wooden floorboards under his feet. "... No..." He mumbled dejected.

"Your father and I already discussed it this morning; there will be no talk of training at all today! You will be doing work and resting!" Chichi folded her arms sternly. "Do I make myself clear young man?"

Gohan nodded silently.

From down the hallway, a door slowly opened and a small head peered around the side of the frame. Chiri had heard her mother's voice rise and her curiosity had gotten the better of her, despite her fears of her mother's fury! She watched from the shadows as Chichi continued to scold her brother, noticing her father and his bald friend had returned from wherever it was they'd gone. Chiri could have sworn she'd smelt a fish but to her disappointment couldn't see one being carried by either man.

"Your mother's right, Gohan," Goku responded, resting a hand on the top of his son's head. "You should get back to studying."

The look of pure disbelief and horror on his wife's, son's, and best friend's faces were priceless. The entire atmosphere in the house became uncomfortable and distorted as it slowly sunk in; for once in his life, Goku had agreed with Chichi about Gohan's studying!

"Are you sick?!" Chichi screamed horrified as many different scenarios shot through her mind in the blink of an eye. One very real possibility stuck out more than the rest. "Is it your heart? Has that heart virus struck and somehow affected your brain?" Hurriedly she rushed out of the room, darting past her daughter's room (Chiri momentarily ducking behind the door not wanting to be seen away from her desk) and rushed into the bathroom. A year ago, whilst bringing the news of the impending androids created by the Red Ribbon Army, the young man from the future had also prophesised Goku's death to occur six months prior to the onslaught. His Super Saiyan powers would not save him from the heart virus that would take his life and since Goku'd already been wished back to life before, he could not be revived again by Shenron. Regardless of this fact, Goku had also been certain that this would also have counted as a natural death, meaning he could not be revived anyway.

The news had come as a shock to Chichi though a large part of her had also remained sceptical, that was until Goku had shown just how certain he was the boy was telling the truth. He'd given her the small capsule containing the antidote as soon as he'd returned, Chichi tucking it away into the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. Now she was glad she hadn't listened to her initial thoughts and chucked it in the bin, convinced the boy'd been having them on!

"Do you realise what you just said, Goku?" Krillin stammered baffled, staring wide-eyed at his childhood friend.

"Yeah," Goku nodded with an amused laugh. "I just meant that once Gohan finishes his studying, we can all go camping tonight!"

An exasperated sigh of relief crossed between Gohan and Krillin, the panic leaving them with a sense of relief. Of course it had been too good to be true: Goku would never share the same values about education as his wife would! Speaking of which, Chichi had heard his reasoning and had dashed out the bathroom as quickly as a bullet, grabbing her husband by the scruff of his shirt with fury in her eyes.

"What do you mean camping? You never discussed this with me! You had me thinking you were dying, Goku! We've already got the hefty news of this supposed virus you're going to come down with... I'm..." Her voice was now quietening down as the anger left, replaced by sorrow. She was supposed to lose her husband to a heart virus in just over a year's time, or at least he was according to the boy from the future. Any bizarre and uncharacteristic move her husband made now set her off into a panic, fearing the onset had begun early. "... I'm worried... I don't want to..."

Goku put an arm around his wife comfortingly, ushering Gohan with a small nod to head back to his room. Krillin sat himself down uncomfortably upon the sofa, noticing the photo album on the coffee table in front of him. His eyes scanned over the photos; these had been taken recently and featured Goku, Gohan, Chichi, and Chiri at a beach somewhere. He assumed Chichi had been spending a fair bit of time lamenting on the past. Perhaps the thought of realising she could very well lose her family had crossed her mind...

"It alright if I take Gohan and Chiri camping, Chichi?" Goku asked after a moment, "You're welcome to come along if you want to."

"... They can go," Chichi responded, breaking away a little from her husband and smiling up at him, the rage and sorrow slowly vanishing leaving her face with a vulnerable but open glimmer in her dark eyes. She didn't want to focus on the grim future when she knew right now her family were alive and well. There was little sense in acting as if her husband was already dead when he was clearly standing before her, healthy and as crazy as ever. "I think they deserve to spend some time with the father since they've been in their rooms all morning studying. I'll stay here I think, the house won't look after itself and I'm not in the mood."

"Thanks, Chichi," Goku smiled appreciative of his wife's blessing.

* * *

The evening was slowly settling in over the mountains in the distance. A large area of dense woodland lay on a steep branch of interlocking slopes, creating what appeared to be creases in a sheet of green spread over a vast space of the land. A large stream about ten meters wide ran through part of the forest, the edges of the dense greenery receded back ten metres from the stream bank. It was here Goku had decided to set up camp, a few miles from home. The tent was being constructed by Krillin and Chiri, whilst Gohan was collecting firewood, and Goku was fishing for their dinner. So far, two large fishes lay upon the bank close to where the tent was being erected.

Goku suddenly broke the surface, easily catching what seemed to be his biggest catch so far! The fish floundered violently but was unable to break free from the Saiyan's grasp. Goku decided to take a break and leapt out from the water's surface, landing safely on the bank wearing nothing but his boxers. He wandered over to the other two of his catches, placing the floundering fish down beside them and breathing out a little. "... I guess with the food Chichi made us, this should do nicely." He decided.

"What exactly made you want to come camping, Goku?" Krillin inquired as he brought one of the supporting frames through its designated hole within the tent canvas. He fed it through the gap and silently nodded his head, letting Chiri know to expect the rod to emerge on her side. He had little opinion on the quiet and timid child, unsure where the withdrawal came from. Her brother had seemed very similar when he'd first met Krillin and the others at Kame House. Perhaps it was something to do with the sheltered upbringing?

"I guess I just wanted to relax and unwind a little more, get out and lay under the stars," Goku answered, walking over towards the two to assist with the tent. "All this training can get pretty taxing on your body if you don't let yourself rest."

Gohan emerged from the outskirts of the forest with a large pile of wood which apparently he'd already chopped into neat blocks. "Is this going to be enough firewood, dad?"

"That should be fine, Gohan," Goku nodded. "Pile it up over here and we'll get the rest of the tent set up."

"Did we bring all the equipment we need?" Gohan asked, placing the pile of timber down as his father instructed. He saw Chiri having some trouble and approached her, helping her to pull the pole through its slot. Chiri pouted a little from embarrassment and resentment; it had been her job to help Krillin with the tent and she didn't want anyone else doing it instead!

"We should hopefully have everything we need, but if not then we'll just have to use our imaginations," Goku responded. "I think Chichi packed all she could think of."

The sun soon set and finally everything had been prepared. The tent was now standing on its own accord, just about big enough to house the four people who'd be spending the night sleeping inside of it! Nearby was the equipment and bags that weren't being used any longer. Closer to the stream, Gohan and Krillin had both set up a fire to cook their dinner with, a large cooking container was held in place over the small fire thanks to a large circle of rocks; their stew had been cooking for the past hour. Every-so-often, Krillin would turn the ladle and check on the food's progress.

Chiri emerged from her tent with a yawn. The setting sun had a primal effect on the small child, as it usually does with the diurnal birds and mammals roaming during the daylight hours. Wiping her eyes with a determination to stay awake for her dinner, she wandered over towards her brother and Krillin. The smells of the food were very alluring and her stomach barked in protest, eager for her to eat something soon!

"Where's daddy gone?" She asked, noticing the absence of her father.

"Father went back to get some more fish," Gohan answered with a smile, also eager to begin eating their dinner. "He didn't think there was enough food because he ended up eating one of the fishes raw as a snack!"

Chiri giggled at this explanation, "Daddy is a glutton!" She chortled.

Krillin exchanged a glance of confusion with Gohan, who simply nodded at him. "Chiri knows some unusual words but they're far and few between!" He whispered so his sister couldn't hear and become offended!

"... Um..." Chiri stepped forward a little more, seemingly troubled all of a sudden. She'd been contemplating it a lot whilst taking a break inside the tent and assuring she had no nasty surprises in her sleeping bag. "... Gohan," she started, "... Is it a bad thing we didn't do any training today with Mr Piccolo?"

"What do you mean, Chiri?" Krillin was the one who answered her. "How much training do you guys normally do anyway? I know we've still got two more years until we're supposed to all..." He halted remembering they had a small four-year-old child with them, wondering whether mentioning being killed would upset her.

"It'll be ok, Chiri," Gohan smiled comfortingly. "Remember what father told us the last time you asked?"

Chiri looked down at her feet, unable to recall what Gohan was referring to. "... No." She shook her head after a moment.

"Training all the time won't necessarily help us," Gohan explained. "We have to take breaks every now and then so we can let our bodies recover. Otherwise, if we spend all our days and hours doing nothing but training, we'd wear ourselves out! It's good to let our bodies rest but also to let our minds take a break! I'm sure we'll do some training tomorrow afternoon once we've returned home and packed everything away."

Chiri nodded and attempted a smile. Her brother always seemed to be right and she was impressed with how much he remembered. Perhaps he and their father were right; spending all their time doing one thing would quickly grow tiring for her anyway! Still she felt anxious relaxing since for the past year, she'd been spending her time trying to grow stronger and stronger to help fight these oncoming androids.

"I think we're gonna needs some more firewood," Krillin noted. "At this rate the food won't be cooked in time for when Goku gets back."

Gohan nodded and rushed over to the large piles of spare firewood he had gathered, picking up a couple of accurately chopped wood blocks and returning towards his sister and friend. "Will this be enough, Krillin?" He asked.

Something inside Chiri began to panic. She could have sworn she'd heard something rustling in one of the trees nearby. Her panic was quickly dismissed; it could have been a bird or a rodent shuffling around. She returned her eyes back to the cooking happening right under her nose, the heat of the fire giving her a warm glow until it became too much. Chiri stepped back and wiped the condensation off her face, a little intrigued as to what the water on her had been caused by! "... Hey, why's my face got water on it?" She asked.

"That's just the steam coming from the food cooling down as it lands on you," Krillin explained. "Gohan, bring them over here and we'll make this fire better."

A small plopping sound from the stream made the small girl jolt upright, the hairs on her neck standing on end. Again? The animals in this forest sure made a lot of noise! She looked back to her brother, mouth falling to a frown and heart thumping when she saw the concentrated and concerned look on his face. He'd stopped walking towards them and his eyes were slowly shifting along his field of vision.

Chiri gulped and began to worry further. "... What is it, big brother?" She asked with a shake in her voice. Was something actually wrong?

"Quiet, Chiri," Krillin whispered. He too had the same look of concern and focus on his face, making Chiri panic all the more.

No. She was supposed to be doing what they were doing; not panicking but trying to work out what was wrong. Perhaps it was something dangerous? Chiri recalled what her brother had taught her to do prior to their training under her father. He had taught her about ki control and how to sense people on the planet, whether near or far away. Judging by how cautious her brother and Krillin were being, someone or something had to be nearby. She closed her eyes and began to look for any source of unfamiliar ki, finding her eyes being closed made the task a lot easier. She clenched her fists tightly and calmed her mind, a task that was easier said than done. Her heart pounded in her small torso but her mind told her to calm, slowly the forms of her brother and Krillin's ki signals wafted to her mind's eye. She could sense them both, both filled her with a sense of peace and calmness, as if being near them had a relaxing effect on her...

Eyes bolted open and a small squeak escaped her throat as four terrifyingly cruel signals bombarded and quickly overpowered her mind. Four, four powers in very, very close proximity to them! Her father's had also been detected but it had also been overshadowed by these unusual and horrifying ki signals. "Wh-What is that?" She cried.

"Chiri!" Gohan hushed her, still unable to find where the four ki signals were...

It was too late for them to do anything.

Krillin had suddenly bolted up onto his feet as soon as the shadow behind Gohan had appeared, "Behind you!"

Chiri didn't even have time to react before something solid and strong cracked her in the back of the skull. All thoughts left her mind and she found the world around her darkening. Not even the light of the fire could pierce through the shadows as she fell forwards, baffled as to how she suddenly felt so tired...


	7. IoC Chapter 7

**Chapter 07 – The Armoured Squadron from Space**

Chiri had been knocked out; a clean swipe practically identical to the one Krillin had suffered whilst he'd tried to warn Gohan of the monster behind him. Neither she nor the bald fighter were aware of the events happening around them, that Gohan had been grabbed by one of the men and had been questioned whilst being gripped by his recently regenerated tail. The Saiyan's weakness lies in their tails; any amount of pressure upon the limb would drain them of any power they may yield, unless one trained up their tail.

Gohan was furious inside; on the outside there was nothing he could do except possibly mouth off to these monsters! He wasn't even sure if he could manage that right now as he hung upside down, the blood rushing to his head and making his ears ring. He took the time to get as much information as he could from the two other monsters he could see. Clearly they were both aliens; the taller of the two opposing him had dusty-brown skin and looked a lot like he had a frog's head, though he was humanoid in shape. The other was a lot shorter and had blue skin with blonde hair, most of which fell on the left side of his temple. He looked far more human-like, minus the skin tone as blue was a very unnatural skin-colour on Earth! Both wore armour similar in style to the Saiyans as well as the familiar scouters upon their faces; this sent alarm bells ringing in the young child's mind. Were there still monsters enlisted in Freeza's army, or was it just a pure coincidence? On each of their armour plates resting around where their solar plexus would be, an insignia was placed; a ball with some strange spikes rising towards their shoulders. Gohan didn't recognise it at all.

"This is a Super Saiyan, the being that destroyed Freeza?" The warrior holding Gohan hostage snorted, roughly wriggling his arm up and down so Gohan flopped about like a helpless doll.

"Give me a break!" The amphibian alien chuckled with amusement, "His power level's only fifty!"

They knew about Freeza, Gohan realised. His heart thumped wildly in his ribs, now not singularly because he was struggling to break free from his captive's strong grip on his tail but also because any warrior dressed like one of Freeza's men could only spell trouble!

"Even if you do discount the fact that Doore's holding him by the tail," The shorter warrior spoke, "it's still pitiful... This can't be the Saiyan we're after..."

Gohan clenched his teeth in frustration. So they were looking for his father? His dad had been the one to defeat Freeza on Namek around three years ago now, although if they were going to be technical about it, the boy from the future had dealt the final blow upon Freeza's return to Earth alongside his father! His dad had merely taken Freeza's pride though he had spared him. It would have been one of the biggest mistakes to haunt him, Gohan felt, but fortunately everyone had survived the final battle. Were these men part of the Ginyu Force? They seemed to be high-level warriors from what Gohan could sense.

Krillin and Chiri both remained unconscious between he and the two other warriors; the shorter one had even had the nerve to take their food and eat it! Gohan hoped his father would return soon and that no harm would come to the two fallen fighters, particularly Chiri. She was only four; she had only recently been introduced to fighting and training. She wasn't ready for anything like this, not by a long shot!

"Hey!"

That was his father's voice! Gohan didn't have the strength to move his neck but he could hear the sloshing of water being dispersed as Goku rushed towards the three aliens. "What do you think you're doing?" The Saiyan barked.

"... And who might you be?" The alien holding Gohan demanded with a smug tone in his voice.

"My name is Son Goku – and the kid you're holding by his tail is my Gohan!" Goku responded, composure well kept despite the worry of his son's wellbeing.

The alien – now seen to be a tall, bulky green man with dark black hair falling down to his lower back – merely smiled. With one strong flex of his arm, he tossed Gohan aside, Gohan colliding with the nearby tent and knocking it down upon his landing. At last he could feel the strength returning to his muscles! Whilst the monsters muttered something about recognising his father's name and identifying him as the Saiyan that'd defeated Freeza, Gohan focused on the two sleeping fighters close to him. Cautiously he crawled towards them, encouraged further when his father ordered him to take care of Krillin and his sister.

Goku's feet suddenly flexed and he shot backwards, the three fighters who'd attacked his friends now providing him with their full attention.

Gohan glanced up and realised his father was deliberately luring them away from he and the others. "Be careful dad!" The boy shouted. He'd picked up some vital information from the trio just before they'd launched their attack; they called themselves 'Cooler's Armoured Squadron', or something similar. Gohan gulped down a rising fear of dread as the endless meanings of that crossed his mind. Cooler's Armoured Squadron? Was that just a long title or nickname for Freeza in some of his armies? No, from what Gohan understood, all of his soldiers had referred to him as Lord Freeza, never by anything else. So what did this mean? The feeling of dread grew larger and a small panic attempted to override his mind's wishes to remain calm. Whatever this meant, he knew once again they were all facing a terrible power. Three of the power levels were here; the strongest was not.

"Wake up, Krillin!" Gohan began to prod the small fighter, nudging him on the cheek in a bid to bring him back to the land of the conscious and aware. He could see in the distance his father and the three men battling; his father seemed to be holding his own against them with little difficulty. He didn't like leaving it up to his father to deal with alone; Gohan would have rushed in if he deemed it necessary but for now, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He would only join his father if it was vital to his father's survival. For now, he had to try and wake up Krillin and Chiri and warn them of the danger they were now in.

Chiri apparently was in a deeper sleep than Krillin! Gohan frowned noticing the look of concern still sat on her face, even in her slumber. Perhaps she could sense the danger they were in, despite being rendered unconscious. The older brother also felt a slight sense of relief that his younger sister's tail had not grown back, as his had recently. If it had been the case, he was certain those men his father were now fighting would have roughed her up in a bid to set him off. Perhaps it was better to leave her sleeping; she was only four, emotionally he knew she would not be ready for the fight occurring. He had been terrified at her age, scared to do nothing but cower and hide in fear of his life. Although his sister had been more willing to train and held far more guts in her than Gohan had at her age, she was still a small child. She could prepare her physical self all she wanted for battle; nothing could prepare her for the emotional turmoil until the battle would arrive.

His dad was doing well; Gohan took another quick peek away from his friends. His jaw gaped open and horror struck him as he realised the forth fighter had arrived; his father and the other three standing a fair distance away on the other side of the river. The forth warrior sent chills through Gohan's body; he couldn't believe his own eyes! Freeza! ...Or rather, someone that had a strong resemblance to the evil fighter. It couldn't have been – Freeza was dead! Gohan had seen it with his own eyes! What did this mean? They'd found out a year ago that Freeza did have family, as he'd brought his father along to Earth before both were slain at the hands of the boy from the future. This guy looked similar in some ways... was he family too?

Gohan clenched his fists with anticipation; he had to do something! This was now deemed as a situation where his father needed help. Deciding he wouldn't be able to wake up Krillin or Chiri, Gohan leapt from his side of the river and dashed towards his father, "I'm coming, dad!" He called.

Goku turned his attention away from their foes with a sense of urgency, "Stay away, Gohan!" His voice barely carried on the wind.

'_I'm sorry dad but I can't do that!'_ Gohan clenched his fists and bared his teeth. He wouldn't usually disobey his father but now was one of those moments where he would never forgive himself if something awful were to happen! Disregarding his father's warning and feeling he'd grown stronger since his battles on Namek, Gohan closed in on the fight.

A flash of light suddenly shot out from the Freeza-lookalike's eyes. Gohan picked up the light, body barely having enough time to halt its movement and hover in place, eyes widening with fear from the imminent danger he was now in! He couldn't react in time!

Goku was suddenly in front of his son, arms clenching around the boy's frame, effectively pinning him in his father's grasp. There was a loud crack and the horrible smell of burnt fabric and flesh; Gohan felt himself being pushed backwards as his father lost control of his movement. Gohan gasped with horror when it occurred to him what had happened; once again he had been saved, he had been rescued from a fast death... again... His internal voice cursed him for his weakness despite all the training he had done! Outwardly he panicked as dark smoke suddenly poured from behind his father's hair; his back had been struck and was now on fire due to the burning fabric! "Father!" He cried.

Goku's movement became more violent as he began to spin on his descent, both father and son plummeting down towards the stream below. Just when Gohan thought his father was losing consciousness, the Saiyan suddenly became animated again; one arm leaving his son's back and extending outwards, firing a ki shot straight towards their opponents. Gohan was certain if it was a ploy to catch them off-guard, it would have worked on almost everyone except for Freeza. Indeed the pseudo-Freeza deflected the blast as if it were nothing, unfazed by the sneak attack.

The boy's heart sank, the facts were this monster had improved somewhat over the years... if it was indeed Freeza as they suspected. The shock of the ice-cold water hitting his skin was like being stabbed all over at once, it almost knocked all breath from Gohan's lungs! He was still pinned to his father's body, still held in his dad's arms even underwater. The currents down here were strong and there was little they could do to fight them; Gohan could not move his arms and his father seemed to be suffering from the strike he'd taken. Their world spun as the gravity changed; Gohan realised they'd come to a waterfall and were now plummeting straight for the river below!

A twitch from his father alerted Gohan and he realised his father was still conscious. The Saiyan kept the two hidden under the curtain of water, both still falling down the side of the falls until once again, the cold water struck them. Gohan was running short on breath and needed to surface soon before he drowned. His thoughts raced in his mind as it occurred to him he'd left Krillin and Chiri unconscious. Neither would be able to defend themselves against any possible attacks from these monsters! What had he done? Maybe he should have heeded his father's words and stayed with the others, yet what choice had he been left with? His father was in imminent danger and it was the only thing Gohan felt he could have done!

Goku's hold on Gohan tightened suddenly. In less than a second later, water was suddenly thrown about violently as a terrific explosion rocked the waterfall bed; Gohan tossed from his father's arms in the impact. Through all the confusion, he was sure he could make out the Freeza-lookalike hovering above the top of the falls. The water threw him about, knocking him about until finally, the currents returned to normal. Though visibility was good, it took a while for Gohan to spot his father floating nearby, almost limp in the water. Gohan knew he had to get himself and his dad free from the currents before they both drowned. Using the remaining reserves he had, the young boy swam over towards his father, grabbing him by the left hip and pulling him towards the surface. If the Freeza-lookalike and his men were waiting for them...

Air filtered into his lungs as they broke the surface against one of the banks; the grass and trees providing them with hopefully adequate protection from watching eyes. Gohan felt the relief as the breath he'd so desperately craved filled his lungs, providing him with the energy he now needed. He kept a firm grip on his father, who thankfully was still alive, albeit barely conscious. The Saiyan had taken a large amount of damage from that eyebeam strike and seemed to be suffering for it; Gohan gasped when he saw just how much damage he'd taken. Indeed there was a large hole in the back of his shirt where the material had burned; underneath it Goku's skin had been badly charred. No wonder he was in pain! The Saiyan collapsed clinging to the grass, almost slipping back into the water! With as much strength as he could muster despite his shaking limbs, Gohan managed to pull himself and his father free from the river.

* * *

The world returned slowly. First the sense of feel, then her sense of smell and hearing, and finally her sense of sight. Chiri opened her eyes cautiously, expecting to see a pair of evil, alien-like eyes looking down on her, ready to hurt her or worse! Fortunately that didn't seem to happen. Confusion then struck her; what had sent her to sleep... and why did the back of her head hurt? Chiri gasped and sat up bolt-upright, wincing when the head-rush struck and momentary dizziness hit her. Cautiously she began to look around.

Their tent had collapsed in on itself. Their fire was still burning but their food pot had been moved. Krillin was nearby sleeping... Chiri looked around further, mouth opening a little when she spotted the pot they'd been cooking with off a fair distance near some rocks just on the edge of the forest. She got to her feet and trotted over to it, ever cautious and trying to find those four large ki signals she'd sensed earlier. Dread suddenly stopped her in her tracks as she realised all four ki signals were nearby; three of them on the move in the local vicinity.

Eyes fell back onto the pot, her stomach growling loudly at her demanding she eat the food within the pot, even if it wasn't finished! Chiri frowned anxiously, she knew that some uncooked foods could potentially make her sick but her pangs of hunger overrode that warning. She approached the pot and lifted it up. Panic hit her when she found it easier than expected to lift it off the ground from its side. _'No, please tell me...'_ She glanced into the pot.

It was empty.

There was no food left. Either someone else had eaten off of it, or it had somehow fallen from the pot. She couldn't see any remains scattered on the ground around them, not even the fish her father had caught earlier remained near their dishevelled tent. She was hungry... she was hungry and someone had eaten their food. Her initial reaction burst free and Chiri wailed loudly, tears streaming down her cheeks as the realisation of how unfair her situation was struck. "We have no food!" She cried distraughtly. Angrily she threw the pot against the ground (denting it in the process so it resembled a can that'd been crushed!) and ran towards Krillin, thumping her fists against his chest in protest. "Krillin! Krillin! There's no more food!" She screamed, taking in large, noisy breaths before continuing to scream her lungs out.

The commotion was enough to bring Krillin out of his slumber though Chiri didn't really notice him waking until he grabbed her wrists! "Hey! Not so loud Chiri!" The warrior hissed, feeling his bruised chest ache as he sat himself up. "Calm down, we need to keep our voices down!" He'd automatically gone into defensive mode, remembering what had happened just before he'd been knocked out. He quickly scanned the area, concern hitting him when he realised he and Chiri were the only ones present. "Hey, where're Goku and Gohan? Chiri, you need to stop crying! We'll be spotted and killed!"

Chiri sniffed and tried to stifle her sorrow when the mention of murder was brought up. Feeling flustered and scared, she quietened down and tried to sense her brother and father. Worry hit her and another bout of tears threatened to strike again until Krillin put a soothing hand on her shoulder.

"Something's gone wrong," The former monk spoke calmly. "We need to get out of here and try and find your father and brother. We'll need to stay under the cover of the trees to lower our chance of being spotted. Keep your ki as low as you can." He rose to his feet and picked Chiri up from the ground. "I'm sorry but we need to move as quietly as we can."

Chiri nodded, suddenly feeling quite anxious about being left alone with Krillin. Normally she'd spend time with him alongside her brother, her father, or both! She hadn't been alone with him before and it made her feel shy and fidgety. Regardless of this and knowing it would be idiotic to stay out in the open like this, she followed Krillin under the dense forest curtain, making sure to lower her ki as much as she could. Once more her stomach growled furiously at her, this time Chiri put a hand on her stomach in a bid to sooth it, still upset that she hadn't had any dinner. The sun had set behind the mountains in the distance. Another thought crossed her mind which filled her with dread; her mother would be furious if she found out she had stayed up past her bedtime!

"... Um..." Chiri trotted forwards to keep up with the small fighter, who was walking with long strides. "Mr Krillin... I'm really hungry..." She mumbled quietly, sensing perhaps this was not the best time to be bringing it up.

"I'm really sorry, Chiri," Krillin responded, eyes quickly darting towards her, "but we need to keep on moving and find your family as quickly as we possibly can. We don't really have time to be eating..."

Chiri frowned disappointed, another well of emotion threatening to hit her. No food to stop her stomach from hurting? This wasn't fair at all! Why was this happening to her? She thought on camping trips everyone was allowed to eat their dinner! Had she done something wrong to not deserve it? Despite wanting to launch a complaint, she kept herself quiet and followed the bald fighter. She hoped they could find her brother and father soon so she could eat something!

Another hour passed of travelling through the forest, both fighters having to slip through small gaps, quietly wade through bushes, and leap over small streams of water that trickled through the forest. Her hunger pains grew worse and soon her stomach was punishing her, causing her great pain. Her stomach wasn't the only thing choosing to rebuke her either; her arms and legs were growing shaky – because of the lack of energy or because of the chill, Chiri didn't know – whilst her vision was blurring a little. It was difficult to see through the dense woods as the natural light continued to fade. It felt like they'd been walking for ages in silence. Eventually Chiri started to cry silently to herself, the only sounds she made coming from her sniffles and her stomach.

Suddenly Krillin stopped, head rolling back as he looked up to the skies... or where the sky would be had the trees not been sheltering them from it. A look of worry crossed his face, causing Chiri to panic. "What's wrong, Mr Krillin?" She asked through her involuntary hiccups.

"... They're destroying the forests..." Krillin growled through bared teeth. "We'll need to be on guard even more now. They're probably looking for Goku as well... or maybe us..."

Chiri now noticed the shudder she could feel was not her limbs but tremors in the ground. She could feel the explosions and just about hear them now, somewhere off in another part of the woods. It sent chills through her body knowing that many, many animals were suddenly finding themselves caught in the crossfire of those explosions. Her silent tears slowly turned to audible ones.

"Chiri, remember to be quiet!" Krillin hissed.

The sound of a small pebble cracking against the ground stopped both in their tracks, horror paralysing them both momentarily. Slowly both fighters looked over to their right, eyes peeled in the darkness for any signs of movement.

This was it, thought Chiri. This was going to be it. Never mind the two years worth of training they still had to fight the androids; they would not live to see another day! Something big was out there in the bushes and it was going to kill her! She didn't want to die, she didn't want to die! The lump in her throat threatened to choke her and she whimpered.

Then suddenly, Icarus appeared!

Krillin cried out before breathing a small sigh of relief.

"It's Gohan's dragon!" Chiri beamed, wiping the drying tears from her eyes and cheeks. She approached the dragon who was easily twice her height and more! It had been a while since Chiri had seen the purple dragon; her mother hated it whenever it came to visit her and Gohan and would often complain whenever it appeared! Chiri didn't see what the fuss was about; Icarus was a lovely and well-mannered dragon and would play with her lots when Gohan was away! He wrapped her arms around the dragon and pressed her cheek against his stomach. "I'm really glad to see you, Mr Icarus!"

Krillin scratched his head, "How did he even find us?"

"Maybe he smelled us?" Chiri suggested, not knowing the correct grammatical term was 'smelt'. She turned back to the dragon. "Maybe Mr Icarus can help. We're looking for my daddy and for Gohan. Can you smell them out for us?"


	8. IoC Chapter 8

**Chapter 08 – The Search for Goku and Gohan**

The search for Goku and Gohan led Chiri, Krillin, and the new addition dragon Icarus, through some more dense woodlands. Even as they travelled, the three monsters that had attacked them earlier were hunting for Goku and Gohan upon their leader's orders, the Freeza-lookalike certain the two Saiyans were still alive. Despite the destruction and danger many animals were being put in, as the forest was purged and cleared by the shower of ki blasts falling from the skies, Chiri was now slightly more comfortable having Icarus with her and Krillin. The dragon was renowned for having a fantastic sense of smell, even better than her own father's! Having him on their team would make looking for her father and brother a lot easier... providing they were still alive.

The possibility of them being dead had crossed Chiri's mind already. She couldn't sense them though that could have been for a number of reasons. She could only hope her daddy and brother were as strong and tough as she believed them to be. What was she saying, she was being silly! No one could kill her daddy or her older brother! She dismissed the thought of their mortality and shook her head with disappointment in herself. How stupid she sounded to herself!

The forest came to an abrupt halt as the darkness settled in and the night began. Chiri's eyes widened with horror at what she saw. What once had been the continuation of the thick, lush forest floor was now a desolate wasteland, completely stripped of greenery. The land was scarred with pits and slabs of the rocky bed below that had dislodged during the onslaught the land had suffered at the hands of those monsters. A light trace of dust slowly flowed on the light breeze that hadn't been noticeable until now. Shards of uprooted trees and bark stuck out the ground at different angles like knives stabbed into the ground. This was not the forest she knew used to be here.

What had they done?

"... It's horrible," Krillin mumbled quietly. "My guess is that Goku and Gohan are probably around here somewhere..." He took a couple of steps forward and searched the sky, suddenly rushing back and dragging Chiri and Icarus into a thick shrubbery. Chiri was baffled at first but upon Krillin's instructions to be quiet, she watched carefully through the thick greenery.

Something shot across the skies above them, barely visible in the pitch black. It was enough to make Chiri arch back into herself, realising that this was one of the monsters that had knocked her and Krillin out before. Were they searching for her and the monk, or was it for her daddy and brother? The young child gulped down and turned to Krillin, "How are we going to get past them, Mr Krillin?" She asked anxiously and in a hushed voice.

"We'll have to do as we have been doing before," Krillin whispered back, an air of authority radiating from him, making Chiri feel more at ease. "Keep your ki as low as you can and make as little noise as possible... you too, Icarus."

The dragon nodded making a small rumbling sound in his throat.

The trio continued along their route, now passing through a terrain of uneven rock and scarred land. Every minute felt like an eternity, all hearts beating quickly and all brains on high alert as they continued to dart across the barren land. It felt as if another hour passed on their journey, Chiri feeling terribly guilty when she had to leave a small family of rabbits to remain trapped underneath a dislodged boulder. It broke her small heart and tore her insides but right now they had a different priority. As they followed Icarus, she began to grow weak from her hunger and tiredness. Her young body was losing strength and it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to walk in a straight line.

Krillin had noticed the slow decline in co-ordination in his best friend's daughter and had his own problems. He too had not eaten anything since lunch, save sampling a couple of small sips of the stew he'd been cooking. His own body was beginning to punish him for not looking after it but not as much as Chiri's was.

The girl suddenly stumbled as she tripped over her own feet, Krillin managing to stop her from falling and found himself having to hold her up. "Hey, you alright Chiri?" He asked.

"... So... hungry... tired..." Chiri mumbled, eyes half-lidded as she attempted to lift her head. She hadn't noticed herself nodding off until she'd managed to trip herself up, her body suddenly overwhelmed with the rush of adrenaline. She didn't think she could go on anymore, especially since she hadn't eaten anything in over eight hours. Plus she'd woken up earlier than usual and so had been awake for more hours of the day than usual. She felt exhausted!

Krillin frowned, trying to come up with an idea of how to transport the tired girl without her being a hindrance should he need to defend them all.

Icarus called quietly and stepped forward, nudging its head towards it back several times. Krillin cottoned onto what the dragon was saying and nodded in agreement, "Great idea, Icarus." He lifted Chiri up and placed her on top of the dragon's back, Icarus lowering himself so he lay flat on his belly. Chiri climbed onto the dragon and sat herself just above his wings, holding onto him as he rose back to his full height.

"Try not to fall asleep until we find your dad and brother," Krillin instructed.

The journey continued further into the night, Krillin and Icarus having to hide a few more times as the three fighters continued to fly overhead. For what was the fifth time, the large green man flew overhead, Krillin and Icarus hiding under the shadow of an uprooted boulder, making sure they were suppressing their energy as much as possible. The fear of being found seemed to be all that was keeping Chiri awake right now as she clung tightly to the dragon's neck.

It seemed the man hadn't spotted them as he flew with no falter in his motions.

Krillin waited a couple more seconds before giving the all-clear, signalling for Icarus to follow.

Suddenly Icarus stopped, Chiri opening one confused eye as the dragon bent down a little and sniffed a small pile of rocks in front of them. On closer inspection, it looked as if they'd come across a miniature rock fall! Icarus seemed to have taken a large interest; had he found something trapped under the rocks?

The dragon made a discreet call towards Krillin, the fighter doubling back, "... What's wrong, Icarus?" He asked. "Can you smell Gohan's scent behind here?"

The dragon made a head movement identical to a human nodding. Chiri felt her body light up with an unnatural source of energy, suddenly eager to get off the dragon's back and pull out all the rocks that were trapping her older brother. She knew he'd be alive!

Krillin stepped forward and leaned into the rocks, "Gohan," He called in a hushed voice. "Gohan, are you in there?" He pressed his ear to the rocky wall, listening out for any response he could get.

Chiri's heart was in her throat threatening to leapfrog free from her body! He had to be in there, he just had to! What if he was injured? What if he couldn't answer? Icarus was so sure Gohan was trapped; was this correct?

"K-Krillin!" The muffled voice of her older brother made Chiri sigh with relief, overjoyed they'd managed to locate him at last!

"Great! Are you alright in there?" Krillin asked, now feeling a lot more positive and hopeful.

"I'm ok but Dad's in really bad shape," Gohan responded.

"Is he down there with you?" Krillin asked, the smile fading from his face at the news of Goku's health. This was bad; Goku was their only chance at survival and if he'd taken a lot of injuries, then things were looking quite grim for them.

"Yeah, he's severely injured!" Gohan answered.

"W-We'll get you out, Big Brother!" Chiri's voice startled Krillin; he'd assumed she'd fallen asleep on Icarus' back! The girl of four slid off of the dragon's back and began to shift some of the rocks, able to move them with little difficulty despite her age! Krillin guessed it was the Saiyan genes in her and the previous year's worth of training for the androids. He wasted no more time and set about helping Chiri move some of the rocks, Icarus even chipped in as much as he could!

"Please be careful not to be detected by their scouters," Gohan's stifled voice added. "Those guys look like the ones from Freeza's army."

"... Freeza...?" Krillin repeated, halting his progress and stopping Chiri in the process. A chill shot down his spine as he recalled the unpleasant battles they'd gone through on Namek three years ago, recalling his own death and torture at the tyrant's hands. It wasn't just Freeza who had had his way with Krillin either, several of his lackeys including Recoome of the Ginyu Force had easily overwhelmed him, rendering him helpless to their whims. Even with the three years more training since then, Krillin was adamant he could still pose little threat to someone of Freeza's first-form calibre. It set an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach which took a while to banish away.

"Who's Freeza?" Chiri asked, not recalling that a year prior, her brother had dashed off to a battle because Freeza had returned to Earth. She did remember him from the stories her brother and father told her about their adventures on Namek! "Is he that dead guy?" She inquired.

"... We thought so..." Krillin responded grimly. "Come on, we've got to free your dad and brother!"

It didn't take very long until finally, Krillin pulled away the last rock separating them from the trapped duo. A look of relief was on Gohan's face as the moonlight (thankfully not the light of a full moon) drifted into his and his father's view. Goku did not share the same look of relief; something seemed to be troubling him.

"Guys, there are some trapped animals around," The Saiyan warned. "They'll need some help!"

"We'll help them, Daddy," Chiri grabbed onto Icarus' forearm and dragged him back towards a few cries she'd heard earlier. She was overjoyed to see her father and brother again but she'd had to tear herself away from them; seeing them hurt and tired had frightened her and she didn't want to burst into tears again. If she'd stayed, she would have no doubt unwillingly called those men searching for them's attention and then... She dared not to think about it! At least now she could lay her mind to rest and help out the others that she'd seen trapped underneath rock and tree. She let go of Icarus' hand and rushed over to a small rabbit stuck underneath a rock, similar to the family of rabbits she'd seen earlier. Her heart urged her to go back and find that family but her mind told her it would be too dangerous to do so.

As Icarus set about removing a large tree stump that had trapped a bear, Chiri tried to shift the rock without expelling too much ki. She wasn't entirely sure what scouters were but she didn't want those men to find her and the others! With one carefully manipulated lift, she moved the rock away from the rabbit, smiling with relief as it quickly bounced off into the darkness. She let the rock she held fall to the ground, watching as it rolled over the edge of the small outcrop and landed with a clatter.

Then the wall beside her began to collapse! Chiri's heart suddenly went into overdrive, a sheer panic took over every aspect of her and as soon as she saw a large boulder heading straight towards her, only one thought crossed her mind. Hands shot out as if reaching out to catch it; a ki blast shot free of her palms and exploded as it struck the boulder. The magnitude of the explosion deafened Chiri for a moment; the fear and anticipation had already hit her and now her heart pounded for a different reason. She had just made the worst mistake she could have possibly made!

Quickly Krillin was beside her, had grabbed onto her hand and had pulled her back over towards her dad and brother. Chiri didn't need to see his face to know he was fuming with her! She hadn't meant to have given their position away, she'd just acted on her first instincts without thinking! She hadn't had time to think it through – there was a rock heading straight towards her that could have easily crushed her!

"No doubt they detected that on their scouters just now," Krillin was saying, Chiri noticing Gohan was now free and was pulling more rocks out of the way to free their father. "We need to move away from here."

"... I'm sorry..." Chiri frowned feeling she needed to apologise, "I didn't mean to..."

"Gohan," Krillin interrupted, "Chiri and I are going to look after Goku. You head over to Korin Tower and pick up some senzu beans... Remember, you won't be able to fly yourself."

"Right," Gohan nodded, rushing over to Icarus and greeting the dragon with a small hug. "I'll fly on Icarus so they won't pick us up."

"Fly at high altitude so they don't spot you," Krillin added. "We'll be staying around this area somewhere."

Chiri felt a little annoyed Krillin had cut in over her apology; now she felt a little more uncomfortable as she watched Gohan and Icarus disappear off into the night. She was left alone with Krillin again, even if her father was still with them.

The fighter turned to face her, "We'll listen to apologies later. First we need to find a safe cave to hide ourselves in until Gohan gets back with those senzu beans."

* * *

Fortunately it didn't take too long for Krillin and Chiri to find an adequate hiding place. There was a cave a few hundred yards from where Goku and Gohan had been buried; the best news was it hadn't collapsed in on itself! They moved Goku into the cave with little difficulty; he seemed to have fallen in and out of consciousness along the short journey, it worried his daughter to see him like this. Chiri had never known her father to be so injured. As a baby she'd been present at the end of the fight with the Saiyans but she didn't remember any of the visits she and her mother had made to the hospital to see her father. Gohan and her mother told her he looked like a mummy with the amount of bandages he had on!

Krillin kept a watchful eye standing just inside the cave mouth, constantly peeking out into the world they were hiding from. Chiri had helped him at first but at Krillin's suggestion, she returned inside the cave for some much needed rest. The only problem was she couldn't get to sleep! She was scared for her brother and Icarus' safety; would they be able to get back to them without being spotted? Also, what about her dad? Would he recover from his injuries? Chiri had seen the burns on his back, a sight she'd found most distressing. She didn't want to think about how much pain he would be in right now; the faster her brother and Icarus came back with these senzu beans, the better!

Her thoughts kept on swirling around in her head, keeping her awake for what felt like hours and hours. Once again she opened her eyes in defeat, determined that this time would be the last time she'd try to go to sleep before she gave up on the idea!

She hadn't expected to have been greeted by the sun's rays slowly seeping in through the cave entrance! Chiri realised she was laying against her father's hip and sat herself up. When had she fallen asleep?

Krillin was slumped up against the cave wall sitting just inside of the entrance, eyes shut and a small but audible snore coming from his throat! Chiri was fretful not to wake him up and cautiously crept past him, sitting herself down in the morning sunlight that fell through, pleased she could be useful and watch over the two sleeping men. Her brother was nowhere to be seen; it wasn't like she could use her ability to sense ki to detect how far away he was, so with a feeling of anxiousness, she instead focused on the ki of the three men that had been circling the area last night.

Not long after she'd begun her watch, Krillin had slowly woken back up, suddenly jolting to his feet and making Chiri squeak with shock! After both had scared the other, they both focused their attention on Goku.

"... Goku?" Krillin walked over towards the warrior, alarmed when he didn't get a response, or see any visible signs of life.

"It's ok Mr Krillin," Chiri smiled, "Daddy's just sleeping. He was nice and warm!"

That left the former monk with some piece of mind.

The sudden surge in a small but noticeable ki signal stopped both fighters in their tracks. Chiri looked out to the skies above them, unable to see anything despite her hawk-like eyesight, a trait she'd inherited from her father.

"What on earth is that?" Krillin muttered baffled. "It doesn't feel like Gohan..."

"... It feels like Icarus!" Chiri exclaimed in disbelief. "What happened to poor Icarus? His energy just went a little higher!"

Almost at that same instance, Gohan's ki emerged clear in their minds like a knife through butter. That meant either one of two things: he was flying or he was fighting.

"Gohan wouldn't be stupid enough to be flying by himself," Krillin gasped. "They must have found him!"

"Oh... Gohan!" Chiri cried. This was bad; the three men had all converged where she could sense her brother's ki coming from! They would finish her older brother off in no time! "I have to-"

Krillin snatched the girl by the ankle, relieved he'd been fast enough to catch her mid-leap. At least his reflexes were still sharp from his training. "Stay here!" He ordered. "You wouldn't stand a chance and you wouldn't reach him in time! Look after your father – I'll go and help Gohan!"

"No!" Chiri spat, surprising herself with her rebellion. She'd never said no to an adult before and it made her feel strange. "I have to help Gohan! I don't wanna stay here!"

Krillin was about to respond when he stopped; both he and Chiri suddenly felt the presence of yet another ki signal. Fortunately it was one they both recognised almost instantly. "Piccolo!" They both simultaneously exclaimed. The Namekian warrior was in the same vicinity as Gohan was, his power level suddenly intensifying as if he were readying for a battle.

Confusion quickly ensued as all three of the monster's ki signals rose and fell in quick bursts, Piccolo's ki doing the same. Chiri knew that could only mean one thing: Piccolo was battling the three fighters at the same time! A sense of awe struck her; she'd known the Namekian was a powerful and quick fighter, as several sparring sessions against the fighter had quickly proven to her. Unlike her father, he rarely held back any force in his attacks and Chiri would quickly find herself in need of help from her brother! She didn't envy the three scouts at all for having to face him, especially since Piccolo would be going for blood!

Gohan's ki started to move; he'd abandoned using Icarus for reasons Chiri couldn't fathom out, instead he was now flying on his own steam as quickly as possible. _'I hope Gohan gets here soon!'_

"If Piccolo's out there then Gohan should have a chance of getting back to us safely," Krillin smiled feeling a little more confident.

The two continued to watch the battle Piccolo was having via sensing the fluctuations in ki. One of the three soldiers quickly vanished as a large ki eruption pounded their minds. His ki disappeared, Chiri clenching her fists trying to keep the shock of feeling his death to a minimum. She had to remember what Piccolo had taught her; death was pretty much a given when it came to proper fights, something he'd told her to be prepared to face when the day of the androids arrived. Part of her resented having to learn to cope two years prior to when she was told she would have little choice!

It wasn't long before their confidence faltered. Something bizarre suddenly held Piccolo's ki in static, almost making it impossible to sense as if something was masking it. One of the remaining villains suddenly darted after Gohan. It was all Chiri could do to keep her feet rooted to the floor. She couldn't leave now; Krillin would stop her... and even if she managed to get past him, she would never reach her brother in time!


	9. IoC Chapter 9

**Chapter 09 – Cooler's Vendetta**

Piccolo's ki continued to be masked by whatever was holding it, Krillin couldn't make out an explanation other than some strange ability one of his foes had. The other monster – the strongest of the three warriors that had been searching over the area the previous night – was closing in on Gohan rapidly. Both were heading in his direction. Krillin, like Chiri, had half a mind to abandon his post in protecting Goku and rushing off to assist Gohan. His brain kept him in place. There was nothing he could do; there was far too much distance between Gohan and him and even if he were to arrive, he wouldn't be in time to save the boy.

Suddenly, the second of the three fighters suddenly died; Piccolo's ki simultaneously now a lot easier to sense. Chiri bit her lip and closed her eyes, determined not to let it overwhelm her. Death was a horrible thing to sense and a terrifying concept for a child her age... but these were her opponents, evil fighters who did not care about not killing. They would kill her if they had the chance. They could have done so on a number of occasions over the past twenty-four hours. She found her thoughts tracing back to her mother, wishing she was still at home with her and not in the middle of what was quickly becoming a battlefield!

"Piccolo's gone after the third guy!" Krillin spoke, smile emerging as a dot appeared on the horizon. "Hey, I think I can see him!"

"Gohan's back!" Chiri cheered, turning on the spot and rushing over to her sleeping father. She began to gently shake him on the chest, "Daddy, Gohan's almost here. He will have those beans you need!"

A small smile from her father was all the acknowledgement she had; it was all the acknowledgement she needed right now. This was fantastic news, Gohan was almost here which meant they could heal her dad, then they would surely have the advantage over these monsters! Piccolo had already killed two of those evil men who'd hurt her dad; he would surely beat the final one! She could barely contain her excitement!

Piccolo's ki plummeted.

Krillin made an audible gasp, taking a couple of steps back as the forth and strongest ki signal suddenly appeared. It took a moment for the shock of Piccolo's nosedive to hit; it hit hard. "... Piccolo!" The short warrior cried out. One hit, just one hit had floored their second strongest fighter! What terrified him most of all was the feel of that forth energy... It was that Freeza lookalike! He still hadn't worked it out; Freeza and his father had been killed a year ago – he'd seen it with his own eyes! Killed by the Super Saiyan boy from the future who'd then warned them about the oncoming threat! No mention had been made of this fight; did that mean time had changed already? Had their timelines already converged? Was this Freeza back from the dead?

Chiri rushed over to the cave entrance as Gohan was closing in, the young boy descending from the clouds and landing with a heavy thud. Chiri was sure he now had shockwaves radiating through the soles of his feet but said nothing about it. "Gohan! We need to be really quick!" She stammered. "What happened to Icarus?"

"He got hit by those three goons," Gohan responded, brushing past his sister and over to his father. Chiri noticed a small sack in one of his hands and assumed that was where the senzu beans were being kept. "If it wasn't for Piccolo," The young boy continued, "we wouldn't have any of these at all to give to Dad!"

"You did great, Gohan," Krillin smiled, recognising the senzu bag very well. "Quick, let's give your dad one so we can make him better again!"

Chiri gasped, head turned to face the entrance of the cave as a ki bolted through her thoughts. Her eyes widened with horror, "G-GO-"

The senzu bag suddenly erupted in flames before Chiri had time to finish her warning. The sudden combustion had also caught Gohan and Krillin's eyes, both shocked to see the blue-skinned fighter standing right outside their cave, one finger fully extended towards them. "... So this is where you were," He smiled.

Chiri made a small glance back to her father, heart beating as fast as ever. They'd been so close! Now what were they going to do? Her dad was still in pain and now they had no senzu beans to heal him with! This monster was now on his own but he was clearly going to be more than a match for herself! What were they going to do? Her eyes traced the ashes which had once been the small green bean she'd come to know as the healing bean. They were useless to them now. She didn't want to die!

"We were so close... We had them right in our hands!" Krillin snarled venomously, his ki rising sharply. "You bastard!" He lunged forward, Chiri's eyes widening as she realised this was it.

This was the start of her first real battle to the death!

Krillin's strikes were lashing out at incredible speed, something that completely surprised Chiri as she saw the warrior's attempt to vent his fury out on the alien fighter. She wasn't sure why she hadn't expected a friend of her father's to be capable of such speeds and power, though it wasn't as impressive as Piccolo or her dad's. Krillin's fury had given him some sort of drive Chiri could only dream of having; she was still far too terrified of their foes to do anything! It was reinforced further as their opponent seemed to have little problems parrying and countering Krillin's attacks.

"... I don't believe it..." Goku groaned from his hunched position against the cave walls. His ki wavered scaring both of his children, Chiri rushing over and shaking him gently.

"Daddy! Daddy, are you awake?"

Gohan suddenly dove into his belt, digging out the small bean he'd kept there. Master Korin had provided him with the bag full of senzu but at the last moment, Yajirobe had stolen the extra bean the cat was about to devour! Although at the time he'd only put it in his belt, Gohan was now incredibly relieved he hadn't slipped it into the bag with the rest of them! "It's ok, Chiri! We still have one left!" He scurried over and placed the small bean into his father's mouth.

Goku still had enough strength to chew on his own accord, both his children waiting patiently for him to spring back into life.

They weren't left disappointed. Goku's ki suddenly skyrocketed up back to normal, eyes snapping open as his wounds suddenly healed completely, as if they'd never been there! The sight of him rising to his feet brought sheer joy to both his children, the two siblings linked hands and started jumping on the spot.

The joy was short-lived as Krillin started to take a beating, his foe striking him with a back-handed slap before sending five individual beams after his opponent. Krillin managed to recover and quickly put up his arms in a defensive stance, clenching and enduring as all five beams struck him, body burning from the contact. Before he could recover, a heavy elbow to the back sent him bolting for the ground, colliding head-first through the tip of a rocky outcrop. The rocks were completely dislodged though not enough to slow Krillin's fall; the fighter crashed and ploughed through the debris of the previous night's beating on the ground, vanishing in a thick plume of dust.

Gohan had sensed the heavy attack and now rushed out to challenge the villain himself, leaving Chiri inside the cave with her father. Cautiously the young girl watched her brother make his move, limbs trembling even more when Gohan's punch was dodged, a knee lodging itself into his abdomen before a horizontal kick sent him skidding roughly across the ground for several metres.

"Gohan!" Chiri cried out. "Wh-What do I d-do?" She couldn't make her legs move; they felt like jelly! Her heart was beating wildly in her ribcage and was telling her to go and help, however she could not rid herself of the possibility that she was going to be killed! It was too terrifying; she was just four! Her mother would never have allowed her to come camping if she'd known this would happen!

"Chiri, stay hidden in here," Her father's voice made her jump. Chiri looked up to the towering Saiyan, a little taken aback by the look of authority on his face. She rarely saw her dad frown like this and it was even scarier in the confines of the cave! "Take care of Gohan and Krillin. Daddy's going to fight this man now."

"... Y-Yes sir..." Chiri nodded obediently, voice shaking. She watched as her father began to stride towards the mouth of the cave, his ki signal rising rapidly with every step he made. Chiri thought her body would freeze on the spot, his ki was so terrifyingly strong. She'd barely ever sensed it like this during her sparring sessions with him. He was now walking out into the outside world, the alien man waiting for him with a nervous look upon his face. He had every right to be nervous about her father, Chiri knew this man was not going to win against him.

"It's... It's you..." The man spluttered. "... But how? You were... You were injured!"

"Hang in there, Krillin," Goku's response confused his daughter; she could only assume her father could see Krillin over to the left side of the cave. His own ki was wavering dangerously low, as was her brother's ki. Chiri panicked; they didn't have any more senzu beans to heal everyone with! "Gohan," He added with a slightly higher tone of urgency. "Rest now. Let Daddy handle this."

The Saiyan walked forwards once more, the blue-skinned man taking a few steps back as if he now faced a ghost!

"There's no way you can beat me," Goku warned. "Go back to your own planet. Trust me, you don't want any of this!"

Chiri had never heard her father talk in this way before. She'd heard the small banter he would often have with Piccolo but it had never been said in this way before, or with that expression on his face. Her dad was serious, maybe even angry. She was glad she was not in their foe's shoes right now; she'd be absolutely terrified!

"So, you're awake, Saiyan?"

Chiri didn't recognise this voice at all. Cautiously she made her way to the edge of the cave, peering out to see if she could find the origin of the strange voice. Even the armoured man seemed surprised, his attention now up into the air. Chiri followed where she believed he was looking. Quickly she spotted a bizarre silhouette. There was... a lizard? Was it a lizard-type alien? Their body was covered in purple and white, three elongated and distinctive toes on each foot (or what she assumed to be a foot), whilst a long, thick lizard tail extended from its behind. The creature looked very slender but overbearing. That wasn't what scared her. His power level was horrifying; it was the forth warrior she'd sensed hurt Piccolo. That reminded her – there was another fighter who so urgently needed the powers of the senzu beans!

"Lord Cooler!" The armoured alien exclaimed.

Chiri gasped when she realised what the hovering alien was holding. It had been difficult to tell at first but now she could make out the purple uniform and green skin. "Piccolo!" She cried out.

"Is he one of your friends?" The lizard-alien called Cooler asked. With little regard he let the unconscious Namekian warrior fall from the sky. Goku dashed forward a couple of steps and held out his hands waiting for Piccolo to reach him-

A terrifically large explosion struck the Namekian further, startling Goku and making Chiri scream. A large, ominous cloud of smoke now engulfed the spot Piccolo had been falling from; the Namekian soaring higher into the sky and emerging from the right, tumbling back down to the ground. He landed somewhere behind a couple of trees blocking Chiri's view; she had little doubt in her mind he would not be getting back up.

This monster – Cooler... he was frightening. He had attacked Piccolo and knocked him out with one single attack. He had then dragged his unconscious body back to her and her father and even offered it up to them, only to then cause further damage by striking him with another strong ki attack! He was horrible! Chiri didn't know any other way to describe him! Her fear intensified although another emotion also began to well up within her – her fury! How dare he be so careless and treat an injured person that way! She hoped her father taught him a lesson!

The armoured ally of the lizard man suddenly lashed out, one fist lodging into her father's face before he could even react!

The hit didn't seem to faze her dad in the slightest. Instead he muttered, "You're rotten to the core! You wanted to cause me pain and yet you went after my friends? Because of me, even Piccolo was beaten up?"

"You mean to tell me a Saiyan – born to fight – can have sentimental feelings?" Cooler snorted, the smile on his face widening with amusement.

"I was a Saiyan raised on Earth!" Goku growled, suddenly lowering into a stance Chiri was very familiar with. Quickly she put up her own defences as suddenly the aftershock and subsequent surge of hurricane winds struck her; her father's ki violently surged higher and higher. The rocks around and above her quickly started to crumble under the pressure and it was all Chiri could do to avoid them and stay on her feet! Her father's terrific howl sent shivers down her spine – one rock above her started to fall, Chiri having to leap backwards to avoid. She was unable to land back on her feet as the strength of the wind suddenly forced her to shoot back into the cave, rock falling all around her! Chiri screamed and shielded herself as best she could, eyes clenched shut as she trembled with fear. Her dad had gone too far!

When all was done, Chiri opened one eye cautiously. She was alive... somehow. None of the rocky ceiling above her had caved in thankfully but she could no longer move forward; the rocks that had fallen now blocked the only exit out of the cave she knew of! This left her with one important question: how was she going to get out? She'd been told by her father to take care of Gohan and Krillin while he was fighting – now she assumed Piccolo would also need taking care of. She couldn't protect them if she was stuck in a cave!

'_What would Daddy or Gohan do if they were here...?'_ Chiri wailed. She could always try and blast a hole through the rock but she didn't know which way was better to throw her attack; forwards or above her head? She hadn't eaten in over twelve hours now – she'd missed two important meals in a row so her strength wouldn't be as fantastic and reliable as usual. Now she thought about it, her mother would be furious with her! Getting into danger like this, not eating properly – that would be two weeks of extra homework for her to do! Chiri clenched her eyes firmly shut and shook her head. She was going off-topic! She needed to think!

Perhaps she should just give in and sleep like the others? Her dad seemed to be holding his own against this Cooler guy, Chiri could sense their fight happening. She found it bizarre her father had not transformed as he usually would against someone of decent strength; often he would transform into a Super Saiyan during his more intense duels with Piccolo, though it usually made the fights a little one-sided in her dad's favour. If only she could do it too! Transforming into a Super Saiyan would be a great way to free herself from this mess! Maybe it was worth giving it a try.

Chiri decided this was what she was going to do. An energy blast would probably upset the rocks above her and cause them to cave in, so perhaps transforming was a better idea! Sure she was only four but she was sure she could get angry enough to do it! She'd seen her dad do it loads of times before! (or what she considered to be loads of times!) All she had to do was let her ki rise higher and higher until finally it popped into what felt like a completely different dimension of power! Simple!

... Or was it? Gohan had told her their dad and the boy from the future were the only Super Saiyans in existence – the boy from the future technically didn't count because he was from the future. _'Daddy's the only one...'_ Chiri frowned. Not even her brother – a fantastic fighter in her own eyes – was a Super Saiyan. This was very discouraging for the small child; surely if her own brother hadn't managed it, there was no way she could?

Perhaps her own doubts were the problem; perhaps she shouldn't be telling herself she was incapable of transforming. She had to do something, she couldn't stay stuck inside this cave! She had little idea of the intense battle her father was now engaging in as he battled with the elder brother of his toughest foe to date. She had little idea of the torment and hurt and fury her father had had to conquer in order to achieve the state in the first place! Nevertheless she attempted it anyway. Clenching her fists as tightly as she'd allow herself to (she didn't want to leave marks from where her nails would pierce her skin), Chiri began to scream, releasing her ki. A decent shockwave shot from all around her tiny body and knocked a decent dent into the walls surrounding her, quickly overpowering the thickened barriers keeping her in the dark. Chiri screamed and screamed as she tore out as much of her own ki as she could, determined to free herself and help her daddy by looking after her brother and Krillin!

The boulders on the crust of the outer walls of the indent in the ground suddenly gave way, shooting clear from the area as Chiri's aura emerged, throwing anything that didn't have a decent anchor to the ground. Rubble, rock, dust, remains of plant-life, even some unfortunate bugs that had been in the wrong place at the wrong time! Everything within a five-meter radius was thrown clear from the site.

Chiri's scream faltered as her knees gave way, she collapsed forwards onto her face, groaning as her nose began to sting. The pain brought tears to her eyes; she was only four so couldn't deal with the emotional state that walked side-by-side with physical pain. She didn't begin to wail loudly as she would normally have done, her vision blurred with the tears, then dimmed. How silly of her.

She'd used too much power!

* * *

Goku had his work cut out for him, despite the seemingly early advantage he'd held. Cooler had not been as arrogant as his younger brother had been, definitely taking the Super Saiyan warrior seriously. Perhaps it was down to circumstance; this was the Saiyan who had done to his brother what Cooler had failed to do; to have made the same mistakes as Freeza would have been foolish knowing what he knew. Goku's power had impressed the villain and it quickly became clear how Goku had beaten Freeza.

Cooler had then pulled out his trump card, revealing a transformation Freeza had never reached before. Goku was suddenly on the ropes, beaten and bruised by the savage, brutal villain. Just when it seemed Cooler would end the battle and destroy Earth along with the weakened Saiyan, Goku's Super Saiyan powers had awoken. Cooler had not lasted much longer after this awakening, tossed around like a ping-pong ball by the Saiyan fighter before eventually being launched towards the sun.

Chiri had not been aware of any of this.

In fact, it was a while before she woke up to find herself resting in her own bed! Confusion gripped her at first as she sat bolt upright in her bed, one hand clutching the covers. Chiri blinked several times unsure what to make of it all, she could have sworn she'd been lying face-down in the dirt after blasting herself free from her rocky tomb... and now she was home? She could feel her muscles felt as if she hadn't been training in a week, there were no aches or pains stopping her body and limbs from wanting to move. Was it the magic of the senzu beans? Chiri scratched her head perplexed; this was a big wonderment!

Her nose picked up on the smell of food – fish and rice, cold and fresh; her mother was preparing sushi. Chiri realised she still hadn't eaten and jumped out from her covers, feet slapping against laminate flooring as she swung her door open and charged down the hallway in her pajamas. She quickly reached the kitchen and peered through the doorframe, almost jumping out of her skin as soon as she noticed her brother's eyes on her!

"Chiri's up!" The young boy beamed, putting his book down upon the table and slipping from his seat.

Chichi had turned and was about to scowl her son judging by the terrifying look on her face. Fortunately for Gohan (who was meant to be studying), seeing her daughter up was enough to distract the mother from her initial task. Chichi beamed and rested her knife upon the chopping board and rushed over to her little girl, "You're awake! I was beginning to worry you wouldn't ever wake up!"

Chiri couldn't help but notice the reddening and dry stains of tears around her mother's eyes. Why had she been crying? Chiri felt troubled by this revelation and started to feel saddened herself. Just her natural reaction to seeing other people upset, that's all it was she told herself. She had to put on a brave face otherwise her mother'd think she was sick or something. Chiri let the woman's arms keep their hold around her until finally Chichi drew back, putting one hand on her daughter's forehead.

"Good, no fever," Chichi sighed with relief. "Are you hungry?"

"I think so..." Chiri answered, surprised her stomach wasn't howling at her right now!

"Chiri had a senzu bean," Gohan spoke out as he sat himself back down on his chair. "She won't be hungry until dinner, Mother."

"Oh! What happened, Big Brother?" Chiri gasped. "Those men – who-"

"What are you talking about? What men?" Gohan asked quickly cutting his sister off.

"You know what men!" Chiri cried not getting the subtle hints her brother was sending her!

"Men?" Chichi inquired, her scowl appearing again. It was only then Chiri realised what was going on.

Her dad and Gohan hadn't told Chichi about what had happened.

"... They had guns!" Chiri spluttered feeling awful. She hated lying to her mother and was always terrified she'd be found out. More often than not, Chichi seemed to know when she was being lied to... fortunately she didn't seem to be as sharp in catching onto Chiri's fear...

"What?!" The woman shrieked. "Guns? Is that the best you can come up with?!"

Chiri and Gohan both gulped in unison. Apparently their mother's internal lie detector _was_ working today! Without their father there to support them, they would surely be found out! Both would crumble under their mother's teachings and persistence, they'd both been taught not to spread lies or hide things from their parents. There'd been good reason on Chichi's part to discourage those bad behaviours; she didn't ever want her children to feel, when they were older, they couldn't talk to her about anything.

It was a great relief to both children as at that moment, their father appeared wandering back in from outside. The cheerful smile on his face was incredibly reassuring even despite the man's obliviousness to the discussion within the room he'd just fallen into. He wouldn't be expecting his wife to suddenly confront him in the way she surely was about to.

"Guns?" The woman asked, eyeing her husband with suspicion.

Goku stopped dead in his tracks, immediately sensing the tension in the room. What had he just unintentionally walked into? He made a quick glance to his two children before looking back into his wife's eyes. He couldn't be sure what their children had been telling her. He couldn't scold them for it; he'd lied to her when she'd confronted him about their daughter's exhaustion and their torn tent canvas. Training was the best excuse Goku could come out with; realistic and likely considering the situation they were in. How could he fit guns into the story? Guns... They were sometimes used in hunting by some humans... They were far more likely to be used by bad guys; Goku'd had his fair share of shots being fired at him to no avail.

"... It's why the tent was all torn up," Goku responded hoping his wife would buy it. He hated lying to her, as much as his children hated it. He wasn't about to tell her they'd just been attacked by a villain stronger than the powerful Freeza. He was in the middle of training their children to survive the upcoming slaughter of the human race; Chichi was worried enough about that without needing to know of the events that had just happened.

"... Gohan, Chiri," Chichi's tone was low and commanding, "Leave the room."


	10. IoC Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 – Chichi's Anxiety**

It had been an hour now since Gohan and Chiri had been sent out of the kitchen and were now awaiting the results of the battle that was now taking place there. It would not be a fist fight as they were used to during their training under their father and Piccolo; it was a battle of wills and words. A battle of the mind. Gohan knew from experience that both his parents were champions in getting their own way; most battles they'd had in this fashion had been over him. Past battles included his father wanting to train him, his mother wanting him to study, his dad encouraging him to travel to Namek whilst his mother refused to let him go, training after Namek...

As their son and the person often caught in the middle, it had always made Gohan uncomfortable to know his parents were at each other's throats. How would it affect his sister? Chiri hadn't been at the centre of these disputes often and was less likely at her age to understand what their parents were actually doing as they verbally sparred with one another.

There was little shouting and when there was, it was from their mother. That was to be expected; their father was far calmer with his tone of voice and despite the words that sometimes came from his wife's mouth, did not retaliate on her level. He understood her more than Chichi gave him credit for. He knew when to raise his voice and how to keep Chichi from anything worse. He was in control of the discussion – from what it sounded like so far, this would be one he would win. He'd already won it a year prior when it came to training their children; surely he wouldn't be changing his mind now?

Gohan went back to reading his book for a little while until his curiosity and caring got the better of him. He looked over to his little sister, alarmed when he saw her sitting in the corner of the sofa cradling one of the cushions in her arms, face buried into it so only her mop of neatly cut hair fell over the patterns of the cushion. His heart wept for her, the scenarios that must have been buzzing through her mind knowing her parents were arguing in the room next to them; both children were able to hear them with little difficulty. Without a word, Gohan rose and gently nudged his sister's shoulder. "Come on, we should go outside for a bit and get some fresh air."

He led the child through the front door – cushion still in her possession – shutting out the voices he could hear coming from the kitchen. Closing the door gently behind him, he took his sister's hand and walked her to the edge of the dense forest that stood before their home. The shouting and loud voices bothered him though not in the same way it surely bothered his sister. He knew when all was said and done, his parents would still love each other as much as ever. It would be a heated discussion quickly forgotten as both parties would back down and resume life as normal... or as normal as they could possibly get.

Chiri didn't know this.

"Let's do some sparring, Chiri," Gohan suggested enthusiastically. "Mother and Father will be some time yet, so we should do some training while we wait."

He couldn't get her to take her face out from behind that cushion. All through that mini excursion through the living room, out the door and across the small patch of grass that qualified as their front garden, Chiri had been blindly escorted. She hadn't hesitated in letting him take her by the hand and lead her to wherever he was taking her! She was a little too trusting at times; Gohan could have easily walked her into the doorframe, the table, or even a tree!

"Are you gonna stand there and hide behind the cushion?" he asked half jokingly.

"Uh huh," The muffled voice and small nod responded.

Gohan frowned. This wasn't working as well as he'd hoped. Perhaps training wasn't the right option at this time... but what was he supposed to do? He wasn't so great with working out what normally was bothering Chiri and although in this case he was sure for once he _did_ know the cause of her behaviour, he wasn't sure how to tackle it. What was he supposed to say to her? Was it a good idea to say what he thought he'd like to be said if he were in her shoes? Would a hug do the trick?

Not really sure what else to do, he approached his younger sibling and wrapped his arms around her in a light hug, a full head taller than the four-year-old child. She didn't push away, nor did she let go of the pillow between the two of them to return the hug. This in itself alarmed Gohan further, normally Chiri would attempt to free herself from her brother's hugs, so for her to not do so was a stark warning that all was not well.

"... Mother and Father are alright," The boy spoke still uncertain on how to phrase his message to her. "Mother will shout a little, Father won't raise his voice that much. They'll spend some time disagreeing with one another until one of them gives in... Then when that's done, they'll get back to normal."

Chiri shifted a little, burrowing her face deeper into the cushion she desperately clung to. Gohan could feel her shoulders shaking violently and held her tighter in a bid to calm his crying sister down. "It's alright, Chiri. Mother and Father aren't mad at each other, this is just how they discuss something they may not agree on."

"I'm... I'm n-not cryin' b-because of that..." Chiri's muffled voice responded.

"Then what is it?" Gohan asked, taking a small step back and resting his hands on her shoulders, kneeling down a little so he was level with her. It was a small relief knowing his parent's heated discussion apparently was having little effect on Chiri but that did mean he'd taken a step back in not knowing what was bothering her!

Chiri's reddened, puffy face appeared timidly from behind the large cushion, "... I'm... I'm really, really r-really hungry... and if Mother and D-Daddy keep fightin'... then I won't be able to eat!" With that she burst into tears, screaming loudly and tossing the cushion to one side.

Gohan would have faltered and tripped with disbelief at any other time but right now, his priority was getting his sister to calm down before his mother heard her! "Th-Then we'll get you some food to eat from the forest!"

"Th-The forest d-don't have mochi or daifuku or doriyaki or curry-bread or yummy snacks!" Chiri wailed at the top of her lungs, inhaling once more and screaming out.

"No, no it doesn't," Gohan sighed, half correcting his sister's grammar, half astounded her main priority was eating sugary snacks and desserts rather than an actual meal! Then again the prospect of sushi being prepared in the kitchen suggested the child was anticipating having dessert first and then the actual meal second! Gohan knew if Chiri had her own way, that would be the order in which she would eat her food! She was a four-year-old child after all!

The screams of their baby had naturally pulled Goku and Chichi from their spat; the dark-haired woman throwing the kitchen door open as she sped over to her bawling daughter with the worst and horrific of scenarios buzzing in her mind. "Chiri! What's wrong sweetie? Did you get upset over Mummy and Daddy's talking?" She picked the wailing child up into her arms and embraced her tightly. "Aww there, there. It's alright Chiri, Mummy and Daddy weren't fighting."

"Actually..." Gohan started, a quick glance from his mother stopped him in his tracks and he remained silent. Clearly his mother had lost the battle judging by the irked look on her face. Instead he turned to his father who'd been casually making his way over to the rest of the family. "Chiri says she was getting hungry."

"Is that all?" Chichi exclaimed, pulling back a little to look at the child she held. "You were getting hungry, is that it, Chiri?"

Chiri sniffled and gave her mother a reluctant nod.

"... Well I was in the middle of making some sushi for our dinner," Chichi sighed, a little concerned food had been the reasoning behind her daughter's distress and not the spat she and her husband were having! In fact that sent alarm bells ringing through her head – _why_ weren't their children reacting to the arguments? Gohan seemed indifferent to them all and Chiri – despite her young age – didn't seem too fazed by them either! Dejected she turned on her heels, Chiri still in her arms. "I suppose some sushi now wouldn't be a bad idea. Let's get you something to eat."

Goku and Gohan followed suite at the prospect of food being prepared. It wasn't lunch or anything but if Chiri was allowed to eat, surely they wouldn't be left out of it either!

"... Father," Gohan started, his voice hushed so his mother and sister would not hear. "What were you and Mother discussing?" He had his suspicions but couldn't be entirely sure.

Goku stopped in his tracks and knelt down beside his oldest offspring, a reassuring smile on his face. "Don't worry too much about it, Gohan. It's nothing your mother and I haven't already had talks about. We just both needed to be sure you and Chiri were happy being trained, that's all."

"Of course we are," Gohan quickly responded, fearing his dad was about to tell him he no longer needed to train. Gohan didn't enjoy fighting in the same way his dad and friends seemed to. Still, despite this he was determined to do something, especially since the upcoming threat was supposed to wipe out almost everyone he cared about – and eventually he himself would fall victim to the looming threat, many, many years into the future. He'd been determined to help restore Piccolo's life on Namek and had endured many tough and challenging battles; there was no way he was going to let himself do nothing while everyone he cared about tried to alter their own fate. He was a part of the team, he was willing to put his life on the line and knew he could be of some help in some way. "We want to help fight those Androids! You can't let us stop training, father!"

"Don't worry," Goku chucked, roughing up his son's hair with an affectionate rub, "Which one of us do you think would want you not to be a part of it?"

"Oh..." It clicked. Gohan felt silly for not realising it before. The only person who would openly protest against his participation would be his mother – she had worn a scowl on her face whilst his dad had seemed in good spirits. Clearly that meant Gohan was still able to train alongside his father and Piccolo for the upcoming battle!

"Let's not worry about it anymore," Goku insisted, "Come on, we'll go get something small to eat and then once you've finished your work, we can try and get a bit of training in."

"Right," Gohan smiled eagerly.

* * *

Two years later...

Age 767, May 11th

The last day... Today was the last day. If what they'd been told was correct, today was the final day's worth of training until the dreaded appearance of the Androids.

It was a terrifying thought.

The day itself had been reasonably quiet; their father and Piccolo choosing to focus on their meditation for the past three days, leaving Gohan and Chiri to focus on other things. Their father had suggested a day of rest was best as it would allow any wounds or aches to heal. It also gave their mother the perfect opportunity to spend some time with her children. Instead of setting them work as she'd done on any other day, instead she decided to take the two children out to the local town as a treat and a reward for all the hard work they'd put into their studies and training.

The journey took them around an hour by car; Chichi enjoying the drive through the scenic route as well as the opportunity to get to spend time with her babies. She wouldn't have admitted it to anyone else but she was very much relieved to be getting out of the house. Tomorrow was supposed to be the day the world she'd known and loved would crumble all around her. She would be powerless to stop it. Worry had kept her constantly waking up for the past few nights and keeping herself busy around the house wasn't helping. She needed a change in routine and any excuse to get out the house was a good one.

The past six months had also been playing on her mind. Her husband seemed to have no problems with his health; this was both a great relief but perplexing at the same time. She'd been informed by both her husband and the Namekian warrior Piccolo (who she still felt edgy around – and probably always would!) that her husband was to die of a heart virus six months prior to the Androids arrival. The virus itself was incurable currently and not even the magic of the Dragonballs could bring back her husband no matter how much she begged. Was it odd that particular detail hadn't been accurate? She couldn't fathom out any real reason that could possibly change the dates – if they were accurate to begin with!

The first thing on the list was a small shopping expedition, something both Gohan and Chiri protested to! One of their mother's firm looks quickly quietened them and they obediently followed. It didn't take long for Gohan to start pointing out the obvious facts she'd already considered and dismissed.

"Is there really any point in buying us all new clothes?" The boy asked. He didn't particularly want to point out to his mother the fate of their planet would be decided tomorrow and that there was a high chance he may not return home.

"Maybe Mother's buying us stuff before all the shops get blown up?" Chiri inquired oblivious to the issues her brother was clearly pointing out. She didn't mind; she was having new things bought for her!

"Chiri!" Gohan hissed, mindful of all the other people near them. "Not so loud."

"It doesn't matter why I'm deciding to buy you all new clothes to wear," Chichi answered sternly. "I'm not going to resign to living a life of fear and worry and accept that things will quickly go downhill! I'm buying you all new clothes because you'll all return safely home!"

Gohan frowned feeling slightly guilty he'd even brought it up. It wasn't fair for him to be pointing out that tomorrow there was a grave and horrifying chance that neither he nor his father or sister would return home. Living life as normally as possible was all they could try to do, particularly his mother who would have no power on influencing the battle tomorrow. All she could do was sit and wait for someone – hopefully everyone – to return at the end of the day. She was a mother and a wife; her children and husband rushing into a battle with the odds stacked against them.

Perhaps it was only fair he keep quiet and give his mother this day to pretend the ominous threat fast approaching was just a figment of their imaginations.

The trio visited several different shops – mostly clothes shops as both children were quickly growing out of their wardrobes! Chiri was thrilled to have a new cheongsam dress bought for her, though she was only to wear it on special occasions! Merely having things bought for her that she liked was enough to keep the small girl happy! She enjoyed getting to dress up in what she called 'the really pretty dresses that Mother wears', often wearing them around the house and off on her adventures when not training. Gohan also had a couple new outfits bought for him though he was less excitable about it than his little sister!

Both children were filled with surprise and joy as Chichi even decided they would eat in one of the many restaurants lining the streets! They were even allowed to eat as much as they'd like, Chichi smartly taking them to an all-you-can-eat buffet; she may have been spoiling them but she was smart enough to spoil them whilst keeping the money under control! The mother and children talked, laughed and wolfed down their platefuls, Chiri emulating Gohan and trying to eat as much as her older brother!

The day passed all too quickly, a couple more hours worth of shopping and visiting the local park before heading home led to Chiri feeling tired once they'd returned home. She took a small nap in her room as soon as they arrived back to their small house, falling into a light sleep within no time!

Gohan also returned to his room albeit to study as his mother had asked of him. Chichi had then quickly peeked into her daughter's room to get her to do the same thing but decided against it, instead giving the sleeping child an hour before she'd wake her and set out her work. Chichi stood by the door for a few minutes, eyes carefully studying her daughter as she slept, worry slowly crawling over the woman's face. She found it strange she stared more at Chiri's hair than her face; just over two months ago Chiri had gotten a new haircut. No longer was her hair straight and neat and similar to that of her mother's; now her bangs fell across her forehead in spikes rather than the smooth lines she'd had prior. She looked much more like her father with her new trim, hair now more unkempt and wild...

Though Chichi had agreed to let her daughter have this new style, she couldn't help but feel it had been the death of her little girl. Her tiny baby girl; no longer a baby; no longer innocent, naive, oblivious to the horrors of the world. It was the first time Chichi had felt the looming threat of these Androids approaching, the first time it had actually hit her. Her daughter was now a little fighter in the uniform her father had given her, her wild hair untidy and rebellious just as the hair of all her husband's hooligan-friend's were... She'd lost her innocent little Chiri and yet she hadn't. Her daughter looked the part of a fighter but still held that innocence only a child could have.

Chichi was absolutely terrified for her. How could she herself allowed her husband to train her babies just so they could rush off into what had to be the most dangerous situation known to any of them? What kind of mother was she letting her own children be taken into such a deadly environment? What did that say about her? She didn't care enough to protect them from any harm; that's how others would see her. She didn't care for their safety at all, she was happy to let her husband sway her mind at his whims and let their children be thrown into the deep-end and endure a fight from which no one but them were supposed to survive.

She was an awful mother. That's what they would say. She didn't deserve to hold parental responsibility over these two poor, misguided children. They should be taken away from her, taken away from their mother and father to live with a family who'd take care of them in the way society saw fit, regardless of the consequences this would have on them both.

That was the problem. Her babies weren't normal children and not just because of the situations they were being dragged into. They were Son Goku's children; they had alien genes within them, they had powers beyond comprehension of any normal Human. No one but their family and friends would ever begin to understand them and what they were capable of. Likewise her children would never fully know what a normal childhood was; both had been tainted by the prospect of death and loss, needing to grow as strong as they could in the shortest space of time – physically, mentally, emotionally – growing stronger to try and sway the fate that had been bestowed on them all. They'd been made to grow up too fast in Chichi's eyes and she felt partly responsible for letting it happen.

Her thoughts twisted and turned even when her father arrived for the family's dinner; Goku soon returning from his meditation and saying the usual about how good the food smelt and how he was certain tonight's feast would be the best meal he'd ever eaten! Chichi would normally make some quip about him suggesting the rest of the cooking she did was substandard, jokingly of course; tonight she did not. She instead gave her husband a brave smile before returning back to staring at the food, her body running on auto-pilot as she tried to fight back against the morbid thoughts throbbing inside her mind.

Goku sat himself down at the table, smiling as Chiri trotted into the room and scrambled onto the seat next to him with a big grin on her face. "Daddy, guess what Mother bought me? She got me lots of new clothes! I got this really pretty dress!" She pulled at the cheongsam dress she was currently wearing, the clothing a little too big for her small frame but on the other hand, it meant she had lots of growing space and could wear it for the next couple of years at the least!

Goku smiled down at the small child, "It's nice! Your mother must really trust you not to get it covered in food if she's letting you wear it!"

Chichi glanced over her shoulder, double-taking and entering reality as she spotted the dress on her daughter. "Chiri, what did I say about wearing that dress?"

Chiri pouted, suddenly feeling anxious as she sensed she was now in trouble, "... You said only on special occasions..." She responded timidly.

"... Well," Gyu Mao perked up, "Tonight is a special occasion in a way, isn't it Chichi?" He gave his granddaughter a small wink before continuing, "Chiri should be able to wear the dress if it's a special occasion, right?"

"Oh? I didn't know tonight was a special occasion," Chichi responded wryly, annoyance edging into her voice, "Tell me, what makes tonight a special occasion?"

No one wanted to answer. In their heads everyone knew why tonight was special; the problem was it wasn't a cheerful special occasion. Tonight was possibly going to be the last night the entire family would be sitting around the table. Coming out with that answer wouldn't be in anyone's best interests – especially since the one pretending it wasn't happening was the one cooking!

Nevertheless Goku bit the bullet. The cheerful smile on his face had gone, replaced by that serious, intense look Goku only used in grave situations. He chose his words carefully. "... Chiri," He turned to his daughter who still sat timidly upon her seat, "I think tonight we should eat in our normal clothes."

Chiri gave a nod and quickly rushed out of the room back to her own.

Goku then looked over to his wife, not sure how to approach the situation. He knew he wanted to tell her denying it wouldn't stop it from happening; he, Gohan, Chiri and Piccolo would all be leaving in the morning to fight a battle they were supposed to lose. Yet times had changed; they'd been given warning about this new threat and so had prepared themselves. Who knew how much stronger everyone now was compared to the timeline the Trunks from the future had painted? Goku himself wasn't even supposed to be around anymore thanks to a heart virus; he was still alive and well. There was still hope; he was certain no matter what happened tomorrow, everyone would go out fighting and doing whatever they could to turn their fate. Even Gohan and Chiri would do everything within their power, providing it wasn't too dangerous. Goku wouldn't let them be hurt if he could help it. He would get them out of danger, for their sake but for Chichi's sake as well. It was he after all that had pulled Gohan and Chiri into this; he would be accountable for anything that happened to them.

Chiri soon returned to the table wearing a less-formal outfit. Gohan soon joined them and the family began to tuck into the food Chichi had prepared for them. The table was piled to the brim with plates of noodles, meats, vegetables in sauces, and a large pot of rice sitting on the counter for when anyone asked for another helping. The earlier incident was quickly forgotten as the family of five chatted amongst themselves, laughed, joked, ate and enjoyed one another's company.

No one wanted to say it, no one wanted to openly acknowledge it but tonight was likely to be the last night the family would be together in a peaceful world. As much as they hoped it would not be the case, as much as the optimism tried to shine through and tried to banish the realist and pessimistic thoughts, tonight really _would_ be the last time the family was together during a time of peace...

* * *

Chichi found herself unable to sleep. The glow from the alarm clock told her only five minutes had passed since the last time she'd checked, ten since the time before that! She'd found herself back in that routine of sleepless or sleep-disturbed nights, unable to get a decent night's rest due to the worry that would not shift from her mind.

She was surprised to feel the bed beside her shift, her husband rising out of the covers and quietly leaving the room. Chichi did not let him know she was awake, instead she listened out until she heard the click of the bathroom lock. Attempting to clear her mind for the millionth time, she closed her eyes and focused on the quiet room around her, focusing on letting her body slip into the unconsciousness it craved. She would _not_ spend all night worrying!

She wasn't fast enough. The flush from the toilet next to their room woke Chichi with a jolt, she mentally cursed her husband as he made his way back into the room, slipping under the covers and pulling them over him a little. It was a warm night considering the time of year; the extra blanket they'd used for the winter had been stripped off the bed and currently lay in a head at the foot end of the bed, Chichi deciding putting it away would be one of the many things she'd do during the day to keep her mind occupied from the morbid reality. The dark-haired woman exhaled loudly and rolled over onto her side, resting one arm over her husband's torso.

"Did I wake you?" Goku asked quietly. "Sorry."

"You didn't wake me," Chichi responded in an equally quiet voice. "I was awake already..." A frown pursed her lips as she noticed the thoughts passing into her mind again, the same ones she'd been inflicted with all day. The safety of her babies, her husband, how she'd played a role in the events they were about to encounter. She'd made a quick dash to the loo herself earlier in the night, suddenly overwhelmed by the fury that had been bubbling away in her stomach. It had been years since Chichi had thrown up because of worry, not since her son had been kidnapped by Piccolo. She didn't like the fact it had happened again; a clear indicator of the type of stress her body and mind was really under. Whereas her husband and children would be dealing with the stress of fighting to stay alive, she would be dealing with the stress of feeling helpless. She was helpless to do anything to keep her family safe; all she could do was hope and believe in their abilities to stay alive.

A muscular but gentle arm snaked under the side of her neck and pulled her in a little closer, Chichi now resting her cheek on Goku's shoulder. She had to talk, bottling it up to herself was becoming overwhelming and she could feel her will to not let it outwardly show slipping away from her. "... What if tonight really was our last night together as a full family?" She uttered quietly, the strain in her voice showing.

There was a brief moment of silence that seemed to last for hours, the silence in the room magnifying the passing of time.

"... I'll do everything within my power to make sure it wasn't," was Goku's response.

"Promise me none of you will die," Chichi quickly added feeling the tears starting to sting at her eyes. "Promise me, Goku."

Goku frowned, remaining quiet for a while. He couldn't make a promise like that; he didn't know what would happen tomorrow, or the day after, or the day after that. He'd grown as strong as he could during the space of time they'd been given but there was still a very real chance it would still not be enough. He couldn't be sure how strong these Androids were supposed to be; how was he to know he could defeat them? "... I can't promise that," He answered glancing to his wife. "I don't know how strong they are compared to how strong I have become..."

This was a response Chichi had not wanted to hear. She closed her eyes in a bid to halt the tears, to halt the overwhelming worry and fear she'd lose everyone she loved. "... I can't..." She started, faltering as she was forced to take a sharp intake of air. "... I can't lose you again... I can't lose Gohan again... and Chiri..." It was all too much. Her will had been worn away by months of increasing worry, the stress multiplied since the morning. Her husband and children were all signed up to protecting the planet from any evil that came their way and it was always a deadly struggle. Though in the end her husband and friends had always come through, they were all supposed to fail at this hurdle. She wished she'd never known what she knew, she wished that boy from the future had never come!

"Hey," Goku soothed her quietly, "I can't promise you we'll win but I won't let any danger come to Gohan or Chiri. I promise you I'll do all I can to protect them both and bring them back to you, Chichi."

Chichi sniffed and nodded against him, closing her eyes and squeezed closer into Goku's hold. "... You'd all better return back home to me."

* * *

Author's note: A cheongsam is the name for the chinese-style dresses Chichi wears during her adulthood. I thought I'd use the actual name since technically in the Dragonball world, none of our countries exist!


	11. IoC Chapter 11

**AN:** Just as a heads up, the first part of this saga will more-or-less follow the actual canon events that took place, up until Cell's appearance. There will be some divergences, don't worry! As for now, read and hopefully enjoy!

- LilDBZbuddy89

* * *

**Chapter 11 – The Day That Was Foretold**

Age 767, May 12th

The wind whistled past her ears and through her bangs as she flew alongside the others, a large lump lodging itself once again in her throat. She flew alongside her father and Piccolo; Gohan just ahead of the group and seemingly eager to get to their destination. She didn't feel so eager. Three years worth of training had passed but she'd never given the deadline much thought and the meaning of it until yesterday. That had been when it had hit her. The majority of their friends were supposed to die today, many of whom she had no memory of, although she'd been assured she'd met most of them at some point!

It had left her feeling unsettled but she didn't want to make herself appear scared. She had to put on a brave face and not disappoint her dad, Piccolo and Gohan. She'd worked too hard to back out now! So why was it she couldn't get her heart to calm down and stop trying to leap free from her ribs via her throat?

"Gohan," Goku called after his speeding son, "We'll have plenty of time to get there without going full blast. You're gonna run out of gas before we even fight!"

"Right," Gohan nodded and obediently slowed down somewhat.

"Be honest..." Piccolo muttered to Goku a little quieter than Chiri'd liked. "Do you think we can defeat these foes?"

"I won't know until I see them," Goku replied. "You'll have to ask me again when we fight them."

"Well aren't you happy-go-lucky as always?" Piccolo muttered wryly. "It's not that I doubt my own power. I have this feeling I can't see to shake off... like a feeling of doom."

"Just don't push yourself, if things get rough then get outta there Piccolo," Goku suggested. "Don't forget if you die then the Dragonballs will vanish too!"

Chiri gulped, her thoughts trailing to the oncoming fight. She was a small girl of six, older than Gohan'd been against the Saiyans and against Freeza, yet that hadn't made it any easier for her to accept just how much danger she was going to put herself in. She was all too aware of the kind of risk they were all taking; the battle against Cooler two years ago had been a fantastic indicator of what to expect today. She could hear her mother's words echoing in her head to stay out of trouble and avoid anything too dangerous, so surely this would be that very situation she should be avoiding? No, her father and brother had trained her for this day. Still, she couldn't shake off the nerves, knowing she'd had no clue of what she'd truly signed herself up for on the day she'd agreed to be trained. She swayed back and forth between her courage and her fear, indecisive of what was the better idea. Disappoint her dad and his friends by flying back home, or disappoint her mother by flying to battle?

The sea below them shot by but at the same time seemed to not move at all, smooth and blue like the sky, the odd cloud obstructing her view. Though she knew she was moving, it felt as if she were dreaming, none of this was really happening.

"You ok, Chiri?" Goku asked noticing the girl was starting to trail behind as her thoughts interrupted her concentration. "You're slowing down!"

"I-I'm ok!" Chiri spluttered realising she'd fallen behind, pushing herself harder until she was once again level with her father. She would have to try and stick close to him today if she wanted any chance of staying safe. Her father would protect her; he was good at protecting people. She'd seen it for herself during that fateful camping trip two years prior.

"Look Dad, it's Krillin!" Gohan excitedly pointed straight ahead.

Chiri spotted another man flying a little bit in front of them, his bald head almost reflecting the sun off of it much to her amusement! She quickly recognised him and smiled a little to herself, pleased to see someone familiar to her besides her family and Piccolo. Krillin had come to visit a couple of times since the fight with Cooler but he'd spent most of the time training, or so her brother said. Chiri was relieved to know he was going to be fighting alongside them, he was someone she felt she could trust and had done a good job convincing her when he'd led her and Icarus through the forests in search for her missing dad and brother.

"Krillin!" Gohan called as he raced off to catch up to the fighter, Chiri finding herself having to push harder once more as Goku and Piccolo also made a try to catch up. Fortunately it didn't take too long to do so and Chiri could get a better glimpse of the man. He wore very similar clothes to her father, almost identical save the belt and boots which differed slightly. She could see the six burn marks on his head and flinched a little when she recalled from one of her books just how he'd obtained those burn marks. Chiri knew Krillin had once been a monk of some sort: Chichi was very insistent on Chiri studying and so she'd come across this knowledge in one of the many books she'd been given!

"Wow! Gohan, when'd you get so big?" Krillin retorted pleased to see the young boy, quickly spotting his sister behind him. "Is that Chiri? I hardly recognise her!"

"Hello, Mr Krillin," Chiri greeted the short warrior with a bashful smile.

"What's with the long face, Krillin?" Goku asked, face forming to a slight frown. "Not happy to see us after all this time?"

"How happy can I be when I'm about to launch a battle to the death with a gang of androids?" Krillin responded sarcastically. "We're not all Super Saiyans you know!"

Chiri stifled a giggle and was relieved to know she wasn't the only one not particularly looking forward to this. She glanced ahead and noticed a small trail of islands below dotted in the sea, slowly getting closer and larger as they approached them. She wondered where exactly they were supposed to be going. She knew it was an island, it was near South City (wherever that was!) and it would be a dangerous place her mother would be terrified of!

"There, nine kilometres south-west of South City," Krillin pointed to one particular island situated amongst a mass of smaller islands. "That's gotta be it down there!"

The small group of fighters came to a halt, Chiri feeling the wind change direction and now blow her hair across her face. She was relieved she'd tied her hair back as her mother'd suggested; she hadn't wanted a haircut when her hair was finally getting to grow longer again! Her small twin ponytails drifted in the breeze across the back of her neck, more-or-less pinned in position. Down below the group was the large island. A tall mesa situated at the back of the island towered over what appeared to be a big city full of many, many buildings. Chiri'd never seen such a large place before or buildings as big as the ones below!

"It's a pretty big island," Goku muttered.

"Yeah and there's a city on it too..." Gohan added grimly. "Not good... We've got to lure the androids someplace else so the people on the island don't get hurt."

"Yeah," Goku agreed.

"... Why are there people waving at us?" Chiri's question confused the others - until they spotted a small group of people standing on top of the overshadowing mountainside!

"It's gotta be the others; I feel two big ki on that mountain," Krillin replied with a casual air about him, "Probably Tenshinhan and Yamcha."

"Then let's go," Goku decided as he followed his two children down towards the rocky terrain below. His own heart was beginning to beat faster now, likely due to the excitement and anticipation of the terrific battle that was to follow. Whether anyone regarded him as foolhardy or reckless, Son Goku would always become excited when a battle was due thanks to his Saiyan blood and despite his Earthling upbringing, he would always react in this way.

As they got closer, Chiri started to pick up on more detailed features of the people below. Two men and one woman stood before them, a tiny baby held in the woman's arms. Her blue hair stood out to Chiri and she was certain she recognised her as the lady from Capsule Corp but wasn't too sure, the hair colour was the same but the style was completely different! The group landed as Yamcha greeted them.

"B-Bulma?" Goku seemed surprised to see the woman standing before them. Chiri was right; it had been that lady she recognised!

"Hey, what kept you guys?" The scar-faced man before them asked.

"Gohan, you've gotten so big!" Bulma smiled, noticing the small girl beside him. Her jaw dropped slightly as she recognised her, the smile across her pretty face widening. "Oh my gosh, is that Chiri? She's gotten a lot bigger since the last time I saw her! Her hair looks so different!"

"H-Hello," Chiri politely bowed. Her mother had taught her to use good manners when greeting people and she wasn't going to let her teachings slip up today! "Nice to meet you," She greeted.

"She sounds just like her brother," Bulma mused with a chuckle, taking a small and concerned glance up to Goku. "Is she here to watch?"

"Nope," Goku shook his head.

"I'm here to help my daddy and Gohan," Chiri responded. "I'm gonna fight too!" She would have sounded more convincing if the edge of her nerves hadn't managed to muscle its way into her voice as she'd spoken, almost cracking her voice! Truth was now they were at the place this fight was meant to start at, she just wanted to run as far away as she could from it! Still her pride and desire not to disappoint kept her rooted to the spot, albeit a bit shakily!

"F-Fight?" Bulma repeated more alarmed once again looking to Goku as if she were searching for some sign that he'd turn around and say she was joking! Unfortunately for Bulma it never came as instead Goku put a strong hand on his daughter's head. "G-Goku, how exactly did Chichi take the news?" Bulma couldn't help but ask, knowing all too well how Chichi'd reacted time and time again when Gohan had either been forced into or wanted to participate in dangerous battles of the past.

"What do you mean?" Goku asked, a little perturbed the focus was on Chichi's reaction and not the braveness his daughter was trying to show (as he too had noticed the nervousness in her posture!). There were more pressing matters at stake. "Isn't that beside the point? What are you doing here yourself? Why did you tag along? It's dangerous!"

"I came to watch you guys fight," Bulma replied a little defensively. "Don't worry," she added before anyone else could spit out the obvious, "I'll go home as soon as I get a good look at the androids!"

"Uh... Is Bulma carrying what I think she's carrying?" Krillin asked sounding as if he didn't believe his eyes, pointing to the small lavender-haired child in the woman's arms. A wave of relief went through the small crowds of latest arrivals as the question everyone had been dying to ask was finally asked!

"You and Yamcha finally got married," Gohan smiled.

The tall, scar-faced man who'd been standing off to the side snorted and folded his arms, "It's not mine! You're not going to believe who the father is!"

'_So that's Yamcha...'_ Chiri noted to herself, taking in Yamcha's features as she barely recognised the man. She knew of him and was aware he'd been one of her father's longest friends but she had no recollection of actually meeting him before. His scars unnerved her a little, reminding her of the consequences of fighting and the damage and pain it could cause, which only served to make her feel even more fearful than before!

Goku took a couple of steps forward and leaned down so he was at the baby's level, "It's Vegeta, right Trunks?" He cooed.

Bulma, Krillin and Gohan all seemed shocked at Goku's revelation, Bulma especially! "... Who told you?" She demanded baffled, "I was going to keep it a secret from everyone so I haven't told anyone yet!"

Goku's pupils shrunk for the briefest of moments before he lurched himself back to his full height. "W-Well you know he s-sorta looks like Vegeta!" He spluttered. "Something about the eyes maybe? They do look like his!"

"You even guessed his name right!" Bulma exclaimed still not buying Goku's flustered response.

"W-Wow, really? How bizarre! I guess I must be psychic!" Goku chuckled, laughing so as not to let anything else slip out! He wasn't about to let the boy from the future's secret slip, even if it would no longer have any long-lasting impact on his very existence. If it hadn't been for that boy and his mother – the very woman standing before him – Goku wouldn't be around today. That boy had given him the grief-stricken news that the carefree Saiyan fighter would die as a result of a heart virus, something no amount of power could fight off. If it hadn't been for him bringing an antidote from his time, Goku would have never been able to see this day and instead would have died six months prior. Not only had it been a relief to Goku to know he had an answer to this virus that had no cure in this current time, it was also seen as a blessing by his wife and children who appreciated their love one being around, especially since they were going to need all the strength and leadership he could bring!

"Whoa... so he's really Vegeta's kid?" Krillin stammered shocked. "... How did that even happen? Vegeta? Seriously, Bulma?" He wasn't the only one struggling to take the news in albeit the adults of the group (minus Piccolo) were struggling to imagine such an event occurring considering the man it involved was a blood-thirsty killer!

Chiri looked at the small boy held within Bulma's arms, uncertain what the others were talking about. He seemed to have a mean look on his face and seemed to be an unfriendly baby with an unfortunate pouty face. His blue eyes stood out against the dark tan tone of his skin, the skin tone was something she assumed he'd also taken from his father's side as Bulma was fair-skinned.

"Speaking of Vegeta, where is he?" Piccolo inquired, becoming restless with the current topic, "This isn't time to catch up on family gossip!"

"How would I know? You think I live with that jerk?" Bulma shrugged her shoulders indifferent. "Don't worry though; he was training hard for this fight."

"He'll come, I know he will," Goku agreed with a confident smile.

"I left Chaozu behind..." The three-eyed, bald man Chiri guessed was Tenshinhan spoke out. The fighter was almost as tall as Piccolo and slightly taller than Yamcha; his narrow eyes made her feel a little vulnerable but in a strange way it also made him seem wiser to her. She'd also heard many tales of this man and how he and his father were once fierce rivals. "We both trained but frankly he wouldn't be able to keep up with this battle."

"Good idea," Goku nodded in agreement.

"What time is it?" Gohan asked; Bulma obliging by checking the watch on her wrist.

"Nine-thirty. They should be appearing in half an hour."

"Bulma, you should probably go now, especially since you've brought your baby," Goku suggested, concerned for both of their safety and the impending doom about to approach them. He didn't like the fact Bulma was even here, let alone the fact she'd brought her baby along for the ride!

"I said I'll go when I get a look at the androids," Bulma responded with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

The minutes passed by as the group waited for ten O'clock to arrive and for the androids to appear. Chiri stuck with her brother Gohan and started chatting to Bulma and Krillin, then eventually entertaining Trunks.

"So what happened to his tail, did you cut it off?" Krillin asked.

"Tail?" Chiri repeated baffled. She recalled seeing photos of her when she was a young baby with some sort of monkey tail. She had asked her mother about why it suddenly disappeared and she'd been told it had fallen off, much to Chiri's dismay! She recalled her brother having one but that too seemed to have fallen off at some point...

Gohan grabbed his lips with his fingers and started to pull a funny face, Trunks apparently amused as he chortled with babbling laughter. Chiri couldn't help but laugh also; her brother could pull some pretty funny faces which he'd managed to cheer her up with on more than one occasion! "Gohan's good at making people laugh!" She giggled.

"You give it a try, Krillin," Gohan suggested.

"Alright," Krillin stepped forward. "What should I even say?"

Trunks immediately started to laugh much to Chiri's confusion.

"... I haven't even done anything yet..." Krillin spoke slightly irked, not fully realising the reason for Trunks' laughter was how shiny the man's waxed head appeared, especially when the sun glinted off of it!

"Something's coming," Piccolo muttered breaking the joyous laughter. "I sense no malice..." He added.

"Maybe it's Vegeta?" Gohan suggested.

"No, he's pure malice!" Krillin snorted.

'_Who is Vegeta?'_ Chiri wondered to herself. Everyone seemed to keep on talking about him and he was supposed to be present among them but was not. She hadn't a clue! Instead she paid attention to a small dot which had appeared on the horizon past the coast on the other side of the island. As it drew closer, its shape changed and soon Chiri was sure she could make out a sky-car heading directly towards them. There was a burly man with long dark hair sitting in the one-seated car. Chiri wondered if this man was Vegeta.

"It's Yajirobe!" Goku gasped slightly shocked but also thrilled to see the man approaching in his sky-car. Chiri watched with interest as the man her father had called 'Yajirobe' approached and safely landed his car before getting out, slamming the door behind him without a word.

"I'm glad I made it in time," The pudgy man spoke with a gruff voice, though Chiri was sure he sounded a little similar to Krillin in some odd way. He dressed strangely too; he wore some sort of gown which was fastened to his body with a belt, though he wore no trousers that Chiri could see, much to her embarrassment. A sword sat in its hilt off the side of his belt. In a way he looked like some sort of samurai she'd seen in a book, though Chiri wasn't completely sure. Samurais' were normally tall, lean men – or at least they were in the paintings she'd seen...

"Are you here to help us fight the androids?" Goku asked sounding increasingly excited and thrilled to see his old friend.

The stout, long-haired man turned and stared at Goku speaking not a word but saying a thousand with the look of distain upon his face. He groped into his shirt and pulled out a small pale brown bag from his shirt. "Here's some senzu beans from Korin." He muttered passing the bag to Goku's outstretched hand.

"Oh, great! You can always count on master Korin!" Goku took the bag with no quarrels about Yajirobe's small jab.

Yajirobe then headed back to his car, slamming the door behind him as he fastened his seatbelt. "Well, good luck."

"Wait... Aren't you fighting too?" Goku asked.

"Unlike you idiots I don't have a death wish! There's times when even I won't join you!" Yajirobe snorted. And with that Yajirobe's sky-car fired up its engines, thrusting forward with enough force to fly clean off the cliff and over the city below.

"What a strange man, huh Gohan?" Chiri mused turning to her older brother. She didn't get a reply from him as Tenshinhan cut in with his mutterings.

"Strange," The tall warrior spoke, "There's something wrong... It's past ten but there's no sign of the enemy at all."

Chiri looked around at the other warriors standing upon the cliff-top for signs of approval of Tenshinhan's concerns. Most of the fighters – including her father – did seem preoccupied with searching for the enemy, whatever they were supposed to look like.

"... You're right," Gohan agreed seemingly realising just how long they'd been standing still.

"I told you it was some kind of trick," Yamcha seemed to be unimpressed and taking it lightly.

"He said around ten," Bulma wasn't so sure, "I make it ten-seventeen. I'd still count that as around ten."

"But I can't feel a single strong ki," Yamcha replied unconvinced. "If they're that powerful we should be able to sense them no matter where on Earth they are."

Chiri agreed with Yamcha, having always been told and well rehearsed in the knowledge that greater power meant it was far easier to sense someone. Her father and Piccolo's ki were always terrifyingly high whenever the two sparred by themselves because of her and Gohan being made to do their homework. Even when they'd gone off to a far away corner of the planet, Chiri'd always been able to sense them in the back of her mind. She didn't know how strong these fighters were supposed to be but she agreed with Yamcha that they should have been detectable.

"Maybe they're hiding their energy?" Krillin suggested, knowing all-too-well the benefits of being able to suppress one's own ki. It had been something he and Gohan had been forced to do on a number of occasions during their time on Namek. He honestly couldn't work out a motive for these androids wanting to hide their energy but it was something they'd have to consider.

"That's true," Bulma nodded in agreement with Krillin, "Maybe they're hiding because they know we're here?"

Yamcha snorted and shook his head almost with pity, "Sorry to disappoint you Bulma but the androids aren't coming."

A loud, deafening explosion suddenly shook the atmosphere, removing any other sound or sensation from their bodies as the vibrations of the terrific explosion rocked the ground below them. Chiri almost jumped out of her skin with shock, her heart thumping madly as her eyes widened, travelled across her visual field and finally fixated on a spot in the sky before them, which was now shrouded in smoke and debris. She couldn't make out what exactly had been hit but she had her suspicions.

"What happened?!" Krillin cried baffled, all eyes now fixated on that one spot in the sky above the city. Through the smoke a large chunk of metal began to fall towards the sea below. "Oh, Yajirobe!"

"Look, there's something there!" Piccolo gasped, spotting two dots in the sky close to where Yajirobe's sky-car had been before it had plummeted through the skies burning up. "They've already attacked!"

Chiri took a couple of cautious steps towards her father, growing ever more nervous and scared. It was officially sinking in just how dangerous a place she was now in. Her mother would definitely not approve of her being here and she wasn't so sure she was willing to stay here either!

Two tiny dots slowly became visible to her through the thinning smoke where Yajirobe had been attacked. They quickly darted down to the city below them and vanished amongst the jungle of metal.

"They went down to the city!" Yamcha cried rushing over to the edge of the cliff and peering down at the large city below them.

"Did you see them?" Krillin asked nervously.

"No, I couldn't tell what they looked like!" Goku shook his head; the look of confusion made his nervous daughter feel all the more scared. She hadn't ever seen her father look so clueless. "I don't get it... I didn't sense any ki at all!"

"... Maybe it's because they're androids," Gohan spluttered with realisation, "They don't have any ki!"

"They... what?" Yamcha gasped in disbelief. "No ki to sense? That's impossible! If we can't sense them then how are we supposed to find them?!"

That was a question on everyone's lips, though fortunately Piccolo seemed to have the answer. "If we can't sense them then we'll just have to find them by sight!"

Chiri stood closely to her father's leg, quiet and not participating in the conversation. Her nerves were getting the better of her, her heart pounding as if it were trying to break free from her ribcage. She had never experienced danger as real as this – or at least not since that scuffle with Cooler and his men two years prior – all the same, it was starting to overwhelm her. Even with all the training and preparation she'd gone under alongside her brother, nothing could have prepared her for the pressure she felt under today. She didn't want to leave her father's side in fear she'd get lost and find herself against an opponent all by herself!

"Alright," Goku spoke out. "Let's all spread out and search! If you find them, let everyone know right away – don't try to face them on your own! Gohan, you go to see Yajirobe, he's still alive!" His glance then turned down to his daughter; Chiri suddenly filled with a warm feeling inside of her, though it wasn't entirely pleasant. Her father's face was stern and serious, the usual carefree look gone. "Stay close to me," He ordered. Chiri obediently nodded feeling a little relieved her father had offered her some sort of protection against these monsters. If anyone was going to make her feel safe it would definitely be him.

Goku quickly tossed the senzu bag he'd been given over to Bulma, whose reflexes were pretty quick for an average human as she caught it clean in her hand. "Bulma, hold onto the senzu beans for me." Goku instructed, not really acknowledging the nod from the blue-haired woman.

"Let's go!" Piccolo roared.

With that the fighters – minus Bulma - all took to the skies, the majority flying down towards the city below whilst Gohan rushed towards the ocean to rescue Yajirobe.

Chiri did as she was told and stuck close to her father, following him down almost to ground-level as Goku descended to the top of a fairly tall building, Chiri landing as close to her father as she could upon the same building. From where they stood they had a pretty good view of the city below but on the other hand, it was difficult to try and pick out two androids from the vast crowds below. What were these androids supposed to look like anyway? Chiri wasn't sure where to begin! Androids were robots, or so she'd been told by Gohan, so should she be looking for someone who was made from metal? Would they be grey and shiny or would they have been somehow disguised by their creator?

"Chiri, stay close," Goku's voice brought Chiri's thoughts to an abrupt stop and she obediently nodded, eyes scanning the area below them for anything that looked suspicious.

"What do these androids look like, Daddy?" She asked, still nowhere closer to working out what their opponents looked like.

"I'm not sure," Goku replied, growing as frustrated as his daughter was. "Darn it, I wish Trunks had brought a picture to show us what they looked like!"

'_Trunks? But Trunks is that lady Bulma's little boy...'_ Chiri was perplexed by her father's muttering, completely unaware of the true events that had occurred three years ago where a teenage Trunks had come back in time to relay the news of the androids arrival to the group. She had been a toddler at that point and had no recollection of that event, not even recalling the day her father returned home from his ordeal out in space.

"This may take longer if we stick together after all..." Goku muttered before turning to his daughter. "Ok Chiri, I think we should split up. If you see anyone or anything suspicious, raise your energy so that Daddy can come and find you. Can you do that for me?"

"I-I think so," Chiri nodded feeling increasingly nervous; she was trying not to show signs of fear that her father was leaving her side but one part of her jumped for joy at the prospect of being able to look by herself. It made her feel slightly more grown up yet at the same time she felt she should stick close to someone strong since she was only a little girl! Her fear of being alone when the androids appeared almost overwhelmed her and it wasn't until her father spoke again that she was able to manage some sort of control over it.

"OK, Daddy's going to head left down this road," Goku pointed lightly patting her on the head, "Stay safe and out of trouble." With that he jumped down from the tall building leaving his daughter to search on her own accord. Chiri watched for a small moment before making her own way down from the building, landing safely on the ground and startling several pedestrians around her!

"Hey, are you alright?" One concerned woman carrying a dozen shopping bags on her arms asked, stunned that the six-year-old had casually landed before her!

Chiri noticed the woman and quickly started to ignore her; Chichi'd taught her never to talk to strangers. Instead she bounced off down the street cautiously avoiding those she walked amongst and trying not to be swept away by the crowds. Concern soon came over her as there were many, many people in this city. If anything were to happen here she was certain they'd have to do as her brother said and try and get the androids far away from this city so that innocent people wouldn't get hurt.

It was like looking for a needle in a haystack.


	12. IoC Chapter 12

**AN:** Sorry it's up 3 days late! Work and coursework needing to be done are still dictating my life! Again, please be patient with the flow of the story - it will diverge eventually. Just bear with me :)

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**Chapter 12 – Return of the Super Saiyan**

Her search led her on and on without any luck. Soon Chiri grew bored and tired from wandering the streets blind of what it was she was searching for. A small bout of frustration and weariness set in and soon she stopped searching altogether, finding a nearby park and sitting upon one of the benches provided, hands cupping her chin as she watched the people wander past her. She could hear the shrieks of other children playing in the playground nearby; the child that she was made her want to run and join them and forget herself for a moment. However her conscience continued to remind her that she was supposed to be searching for killer androids... androids that she wasn't entirely sure were still in this city. Nothing drastic had happened since Yajirobe's air-car had exploded mid-air. Perhaps those two dots they'd seen were just part of her imagination, perhaps there'd been something wrong with his air-car, something like a manufacturing error... But then again, those dots were real. Everyone else had seen them. Therefore the theory of them being androids was the correct thought process, not the excuses she was trying to come up with to escape the terrifying reality they now all faced.

Thoughts soon traced over to her mother back home, wondering if she was alright or if she was worrying herself sick about her family. Of course she was worrying, that's just how her mother was.

A small but noticeable crunch of metal hitting metal caught Chiri's ears and she sprung up attentive. The sound had come from down the street to her right. Curiosity got the better of her and Chiri started to travel towards it, soon breaking into a trot. Her suspicions were aroused further as a scream pierced through the air, setting off a little fear inside the little girl which in turn stopped her in her tracks. Her mind told her not to travel any further forward; someone had screamed and usually screams meant something scary or dangerous was nearby. Chiri didn't know whether it was wise of her to charge in to find out just what was going on but her heart told her otherwise. She knew her father and brother would be disappointed in her if they'd found out she'd been too scared to investigate.

Another large ki was nearby and converging around the same place she was heading for. Feeling a little secure in knowing one of her father's friends was close by, Chiri took a deep breath and continued to travel down the street albeit at a slower pace than before. It was a lot quieter down here, barely anyone else was around which only unnerved her further. As she approached, Chiri spotted three grown-ups standing amongst themselves on the pavement before her; a car stood still in the middle of the road whilst a couple more people seemed to be lying down or sitting, Chiri assuming they were watching the other grown-ups. On closer inspection she noted one of the grown-up men wore a bright orange gi and had short, spiky dark hair. It was Yamcha.

Chiri suddenly stopped in her tracks, eyes widening and jaw gaping open in horror. Upon closer inspection the grown-up she'd identified as being Yamcha was being held up off the ground despite his towering height. The two adults in his company wore strange, bizarre looking clothes; both were men. One; small and pudgy yet pale; stood by observing whilst the other; taller, slimmer but very old; held Yamcha up by his face with one arm. His other arm had somehow gone straight through Yamcha's abdomen, blood oozing from the deep wound and the man's fingers. Yamcha's hands and body lay limp in the man's grasp, his ki plummeting to a dangerously low level.

Chiri would have screamed if she could find the breath and force to do so. Instead she stood transfixed and staring at the scene before her. The others she'd spotted were not watching, nor were they sleeping. One man sat slouched against a building, his neck severely broken as his head hung at an unnatural pose. Nearby, another man was in the middle of the street the other side of the road, on his back, blood pouring from his face. Near to the car that had halted in the middle of the road was a body of a man, his head laying separated metres from his car. The sight before her almost made Chiri turn and run, only fear kept her pinned to the spot, her stomach unsure of whether it was to keep the contents it held inside or not. Her body went into shut-down, not sure how to react and so appearing paralyzed with fear.

The two men had spotted her. The old man holding Yamcha effortlessly yanked his hand free from Yamcha's stomach, letting the warrior fall to the floor as his eyes fully focused on the little girl before him.

Chiri's mind began to function without her realising at first, until she finally realised she was rushing forwards towards the tall, fallen man. "Mr Yamcha!" She cried terrified as his ki wavered and waned even more, a small pool of blood emerging from below. She stopped herself as soon as there was only a couple of metres between her and these men; she dared not go any closer but she was desperate to get Yamcha to safety, away from these evil men. Where these two the androids her father had been warned about?

Her father. That was it!

She recalled what her dad had said to everyone if they found the androids; raise their energy and don't try to fight them alone! Chiri started to raise her ki in a desperate bid to call the others to her, she didn't care who made it to her first, she just didn't want to be here alone!

"My records indicate there is a ninety percent chance this girl is Son Chiri, Son Goku's daughter," the pale, stubbier man spoke with a bizarre voice unlike anything Chiri'd ever heard before; his sudden decision to speak almost startled her out from what she was doing! He sounded mechanical, or what she assumed to be mechanical. The fact he knew her identity bothered her but she knew this was no time to be asking questions, there was a life at stake. She was still trying to work out how to get Yamcha to safety! There was nothing she felt she could do herself apart from rely on other people to sort out this horrifying dilemma.

"Son Goku's daughter," The older android spoke, he sounded a little more human than his friend. It was now Chiri noticed both men had strange symbols on their clothes, she felt she recognised it from something her father had shown her almost a year ago. She tried to recall the conversation, certain it had been an important one and one which Goku'd meant to tell his children about. She recalled the insignia but could not recall what it symbolised.

The sound of a single footstep made Chiri jump, her heart thumped into her throat as she realised the old man was approaching her gradually, his cold, piercing eyes directly upon her. They seemed icy and lifeless to Chiri and sent shivers down her spine. Cautiously she took a step back, clutching her fists slightly by her sides, anticipating being caught off-guard by this murderous machine. If she hadn't understood just how weak and helpless she felt facing these guys before the android had moved towards her, she certainly did now! The innocent and childish emotions inside her were becoming too much for her to be able to cope with, threatening the shaky wall holding her back from screaming and running away.

"Perhaps she will know where Son Goku is," The fatter android suggested, not moving from his place.

'_Daddy, where are you?'_ Chiri started to whimper slightly, body shaking and overrun by the fear the scene around her had put her into. She didn't want to stay here all by herself with a dying Yamcha. She was going to be killed, she just knew it! She'd made a really big mistake, she never should have come here. She should have listened to her mother and stayed away from the danger!

A couple of footsteps sounded behind her; Chiri took a great risk as she turned to glance at those who'd landed behind her, caught in a moment of pure panic as she feared more androids had now appeared! Fate seemed to have other ideas and Chiri breathed a large sigh of relief as her father, Tenshinhan, Piccolo, and Krillin all landed amongst her. The weight had been lifted from her shoulders; she felt safer now.

"Y-Yamcha!" Goku gasped horrified, his dark eyes had spotted his fallen friend crumpled upon the floor and laying in a small pool of crimson. His ki was dangerously low; urgent action was needed and fortunately for his friends, Goku had a gift for thinking fast on his feet and assessing the best plan forward. His eyes did not leave Yamcha's sight but his head tilted a little towards his friends: "Krillin, get Yamcha back to Bulma and get him a senzu bean! He's still alive!"

"Right," Krillin rushed past Chiri and knelt beside his comrade, pulling the taller warrior over his shoulder whilst taking a quick and cautious look at the two androids before him. With haste the short fighter took to the skies, heading straight back for the rocky outcrop that towered over the city, Yamcha now in tow. As she watched them leave, Chiri could feel her heart calming although a small wash of shame had overcome her, especially since Krillin had come so close to the androids showing little fear if any. She now felt guilty not having been able to do the same, being too fearful for her own life and putting Yamcha's life at risk.

"So..." Piccolo broke the silence, "You must be the androids. We get to meet you at long last."

Chiri gulped and took a small step back so she became level with her father once more. So these two really had been the androids they'd been looking for. She had every right to have felt terrified around them.

"... Interesting," The elder man spoke, his eyes shifting over to the tall Namekian warrior. "You seemed to know we were mechanical and you seemed to know we would appear here. How did you know this?"

"Sorry but you'll have to beat it out of us," Piccolo sneered coolly.

A strange smile emerged on the elder android's face. "... Maybe we will."

'_I hope not...'_ Chiri gulped down another lump that had threatened to choke her, determined to regain some dignity and composure and become brave just as everyone else around her seemed to be. She didn't want to be scared anymore of these two men; it would not help her if she ever had to fight them. Her father's teachings would have to prevail over her fear if she were to stand a chance. Chiri could hear many of her father's words echoing in her mind telling her to let her fear go. She knew he would always be there to protect her and she also knew she would need to better herself if she were to protect her own self! There was no more time for fear.

"Wait!" Goku called with a sudden bout of alarm, raising one hand out before him as if to halt the two men before him. "There're too many people here! Let's move to a deserted area!"

Chiri looked up to her father and smiled a little, _'Good call, Daddy.'_ There was far too large a population of people to even consider fighting in the streets. They would need to move to someplace desolate and empty before they could fight. Chiri'd already seen a few dead people today and did not wish to see any more!

The look on the android's face perplexed her, he seemed to show the closest thing to confusion a machine such as himself could show – and it was very convincing. "... A deserted area?" His cold voice murmured as a cruel smile crept across his aged face. "Fine... but we don't need to move."

Before anyone could react, two eye beams shot out from the older android. Chiri almost screamed as Tenshinhan yanked her out of harm's way, one beam narrowly shooting over Chiri's head singing some of her hairs; the other barely dodged by her father who bent backwards as if he were about to walk under a limbo stick. She turned and gasped as the beams struck a single tower block behind, causing it to erupt into flames. Chiri could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing on their ends as several hundreds more people perished, almost oblivious to the terrific rumbles and thuds as the buildings collapsed. Twin eye beams continued to shoot forward, the android extending his destruction as he turned his head, the other android ducking under several more blasts as they shot over his head. By now almost all of the surrounding area was covered in debris and smoke, fire erupting up around them as a petrol station was hit. The roar of the buildings collapsing and the fire raging was almost enough to deafen and disorientate Chiri, all she could smell were fumes and burning rubble as she squatted to the floor, slapping her hands over her ears in a bid to make sense of it all.

Then suddenly the explosions and eye beams stopped. The smoke immediately surrounding them thinned out and Chiri could make out Tenshinhan and Piccolo either side of her. Her father was standing inches from the elderly android in some sort of defensive pose. The elderly android had taken a few steps back and from the waist upwards was curved to the right; apparently her father had gone on the attack in all the confusion. Chiri could feel her heart thumping wildly in her ears and tried to block it out, failing to notice the man's large hat had fallen to the floor.

"You monster!" Goku had snarled with such venom it made Chiri quiver slightly. She'd never seen her dad look so furious before.

Without a word the android walked to the item that had been perched upon his head and retrieved it, Chiri gasping in horror as he bent over, noticing the top of his head. Instead of a scalp the android had a glass dome; inside that dome was what appeared to be a human brain – or some kind of brain! Chiri'd seen what a human brain looked like in books and she could see no reason as to why he'd have a different animal's brain, but to have one at all was what freaked her out! Seeing it was horrifying in itself! Just what kind of monster was this doctor who'd created them?

"I don't understand..." The android muttered. "You said you wanted a deserted area. I was only aiming to please."

Chiri clenched her fists with fury; so that had been what he was doing? _"Y-You're just a big bully!"_ She spat angrily in her head, not daring to voice her opinion as she still feared for her life. She didn't want to make herself a target and felt there was little she could have done to have stopped him, even if she'd wanted to – and she had wanted to.

"Follow us - we'll tear you to shreds!" Goku retaliated back to the androids.

"You cannot defeat us," The fatter android spoke, his voice creeping out some of the other fighters as Krillin muttered something inaudible to Tenshinhan.

"... Very well, we shall follow you," The older android said. "Choose your place of death, Son Goku."

The others seemed very shocked to find out the androids knew of Goku's identity, though Chiri was not amongst them. They'd already taken a very good guess as to who she was and she assumed they'd also known who Yamcha was so it only seemed natural they'd know who her father was. He was supposed to be the one they were after.

"How did he know Goku's name?" Tenshinhan spluttered in confusion.

"We know you all," The old android muttered. "Piccolo... Son Chiri... and Tenshinhan was it?"

"How does he know that?" Chiri muttered to herself under her breath trying to wrack her brains to come up with an answer. If only her brother Gohan was here right now; he was pretty smart and could probably work it out! She'd never met these two in her entire life and yet they seemed to know everyone else and yet no one else had known them until today! It was all very confusing for her!

The sound of high-pitched sirens caught her ear as well as everyone else's. Past several rows of buildings spanning down their street of choice, two police cars swerved into view, their sirens wailing as they gradually approached them. Chiri began to grow nervous; they were at the scene where all the destruction had taken place! Would the police misunderstand and arrest her along with the androids? She didn't want to be stuck in prison with those monsters! She and her father and their friends were all innocent!

Her father seemed just as anxious to leave the scene. "... We'll ask questions later! Let's go!" With that he took to the skies, the androids hot on his heals with Tenshinhan and Piccolo close behind. It was only when everyone else had left that Chiri realised what was going on and hurriedly took off after the others. She realised just how fast everyone else was moving and gulped, there was a chance she would soon be left behind! Glancing over her shoulder she saw the tiny police cars arrive at the scene. With luck they wouldn't be able to spot her and the others though she hoped they would be able to arrest the androids at some point!

"Chiri, move it!" Piccolo's stern voice barked from a little ways ahead of her making her jump. Chiri realised he and Tenshinhan were holding back a little whilst her father and the two androids were pulling away.

"S-Sorry, Mr Piccolo!" Chiri hurriedly apologised, revving up her energy even more and increasing her speed to her maximum. It was all she could do to keep up with everyone else. The scenery rushed below them so fast, it was like a blur of colour constantly changing. Blues eventually gave way to yellows and greens, then dusty golds and pale browns. They travelled further and further inland leaving the sea behind. After a while it occurred to Chiri that Gohan was probably still back on the island. She began to panic; he had no idea of knowing she, their father and the others had moved! She immediately thought of going back before it clicked in her mind her brother could sense energy. Surely he'd be able to sense they had moved and he'd be able to track them down? It put her mind at ease slightly though it would have been near-on impossible to relax completely. She was struggling to keep her speed and she was travelling with two killer androids. How could she stay calm?

It felt like a good fifteen minutes worth of travelling before any signs of stoppage was made and Chiri was relieved to hear it!

"That's enough Son Goku, what more do you need to see?" The older android snapped. "This is good. Let us stop here! It is not up to you to choose where we fight!"

The androids vanished from view, everyone around her almost stopping instantly and Chiri almost collided head-first into Piccolo! The Namekian dodged and grabbed onto the young girl by the wrist, effectively stopping her abruptly from her flight which caused a small twinge of pain in Chiri's wrist. She flinched a little as Piccolo harshly released her before he and Tenshinhan followed Goku and the two androids to the ground. Chiri followed suite and landed on the ground between the two taller warriors. Her warrior's instinct kicked in and she remembered what Piccolo had taught her to do whilst she and Gohan had been trained during the three years. It was always a wise idea to check out the surroundings, as she had done in the city. Here they were on a plain mostly made of rock with the odd spot of grass growing. Beyond the plains were several tall pillars of rock. Now that she noticed it, Chiri realised the entire area was almost surrounded by complicated rocky crevices and mesas. This wasn't good. It would make spotting the androids very difficult if either of them were to vanish amongst the rocks since they couldn't be sensed.

They just had to make sure the androids weren't given the chance to use them.

Chiri looked back over to their adversaries and then her father. This was it. This was the fight they'd all been preparing for.

"Tell me something... before we fight..." Goku spoke out. "How do you know about us?"

Chiri watched her father with caution. He seemed to be a little out of breath. Chiri was rather surprised but she had to admit she too felt a little short for breath after the speed of their travels! She'd struggled to keep up and then had been suddenly stopped and yanked from the skies!

"There's no harm in answering," The older android spoke, "though you may regret having ever asked. We have been watching you for a long time, Son Goku, with tiny, bug-like robot spies. We watched you during the twenty-second and twenty-third Tenkaichi Budokai, the battles with Piccolo and Vegeta... Ever since the destruction of the Red Ribbon Army, we looked for your weaknesses. We sought to know what sort of android would defeat you."

'_That must have been a long time ago...'_ Chiri noted to herself, intent on keeping her attention on the conversation. She didn't understand most of it but it wasn't going to make her miss out on anything important!

"So it was a grudge against me?" Goku muttered.

"Because of you the Red Ribbon Army's dreams of world domination were snuffed! The only survivor was Dr Gero!" The android continued.

"... Funny, you talk as if you are Dr Gero," Piccolo intervened.

The android seemed to be taken back by the Namekian's comment which Chiri found to be strange, though he recovered very quickly. "... Ridiculous! I am Android Twenty. Dr Gero is dead."

'_He must have been killed by these androids then...'_ Chiri gulped.

"Tell me... did you spy on me on Namek?" Goku asked.

"There was no need," Android Twenty responded. "By then we had a complete understanding of your strength and skills. Even projecting the most extreme rate of improvement for an adult combatant, we know the extent of the power you might conceivably wield."

A smirk emerged on Goku, Piccolo and Tenshinhan's faces, Chiri wasn't immediately sure why.

"Too bad you didn't stick with your project," Goku jeered. "You missed something important."

"What?"

"A fatal error on your creator's part not to know about the Super Saiyan..." Piccolo folded his arms in confidence.

'_Oh... so that's why everyone's smiling?'_ Chiri pondered.

"Super Saiyan?" The android repeated intrigued.

Her father did the honours and started to power up. Chiri let her foot further from her father slide back slightly to give herself more secure footing as her father began to transform. She had only seen him transform into a Super Saiyan a couple of times before and each time in the past she had been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of power he wielded. It was staggering and she knew nothing or anyone who could come close to touching it, save Piccolo perhaps. The ground at her feet began to break apart and small fragments of dirt began to rise. She could feel her hair floating above her head, her pig-tails bobbing around as if they were lighter than air. The wind picked up as Goku continued to push himself. The androids opposite stood perplexed, unsure of what was happening.

With a terrific bellow Goku's appearance changed. His hair stood bolt upright, now blonde and spikier than usual, his eyes shone with a turquoise tint, his aura golden as it flowed around his body. Chiri still found herself being besieged by his energy; it felt so terrifying and strong!

The androids opposite seemed indifferent now by the sudden change. "... I see..." Was all that Android Twenty could mutter.

"You three, stay out of this..." Goku instructed. "I'm the one they want..."

Chiri once again noticed how breathless her father still sounded. Had powering up into a Super Saiyan really drained him of that much energy? Something didn't seem totally right about this. From what she could recall Chiri had no recollection of her father ever being this tired after transforming into a Super Saiyan. She'd never seen him so tired after flying such a short distance and she knew he could fly a lot faster than she could! Something didn't add up.

Another small twinge in energy caught her attention, she could sense three separate ki heading directly for them and one of them belonged to Gohan. Chiri focused on the other two, guessing they belonged to Yamcha and Krillin; she was relieved to feel Yamcha's ki felt strong.

"It seems that you have made quite a bit of improvement," Android Twenty spoke, "You have far exceeded the calculations... Fortunately we are up to it. Even Android Nineteen can stand up to power like this... and of course, so can I."

"Oh really?" Goku smiled, "Let me find that out for myself."

Goku charged forwards with such speed Chiri almost missed him! Android Nineteen put up his defences and went to attack but Goku'd vanished. Chiri gasped as Android Nineteen suddenly shot to the side; her father's elbow forcing him clean off his feet sending him several metres through the air and colliding straight into a boulder.

'_D-Daddy's so fast!'_ Chiri was gobsmacked. She hadn't seen her father fight so quickly and so seriously before and was amazed at his power and speed. Unfortunately even that surprise attack had not downed the android for good as it emerged from the rubble and dust almost unscathed and certainly unbothered.

The fight to change the future was officially on.


	13. IoC Chapter 13

**AN:** Just a couple of responses which I thought would be better placed here just so everyone who reads this becomes aware and doesn't feel a need to ask!

Chiri's power level: I figure she would be stronger than Gohan was at her age (age 6 - i.e. post Namek adventures for Gohan) as she's been trained by Goku and Piccolo (and a bit by Gohan himself). However I doubt she'd be stronger than Gohan was when his hidden powers were released against Freeza. She's likely not the weakest fighter there but is definately not the strongest by all accounts! I also factor in her lack of fighting experience; the fight against Cooler didn't see her do much, apart from learn to be sneaky!

I also aim to upload these every Monday but please be aware that I also have work and coursework for my Teaching Assistant course to be doing, so sometimes (like last week) it may be late! Please be patient with me :)

* * *

**Chapter 13 – The Heart Virus**

The android charged forwards, practically matching Goku's speed which both amazed and worried Chiri. Goku held out one hand and anchored his feet into the ground, somehow stopping the android straight in its tracks and barely budging an inch from his position upon the ground! With one swift motion he struck the android in the chin with a kick, sending it bolting hundreds of metres up into the air. Goku travelled fast; he was behind the android in a matter of seconds about to hit him down once more. However the android had recovered and went to attack the oncoming warrior; Goku dodged the punch, then several more as Nineteen went on the offensive.

Chiri watched with anticipation and concern for her father. She wanted him to get back on the attack and continue to dominate the android but so far the machine was doing pretty well! "Come on Daddy!" She called encouragingly.

Goku broke through the android's attack and rammed his knee directly into his opponent's stomach, elbowing him in the nose.

"His power is astounding!" Tenshinhan spoke with slight breathlessness. "I never knew what being a Super Saiyan meant... It's as if his power is in a different dimension from ours..."

"... Maybe..." Piccolo muttered, not sharing the same enthusiasm in his voice.

Chiri largely ignored the adult's conversation, eager to continue cheering her father on, who'd just knocked the android square in the back of the head and was almost using him as a punching bag! It brought a large sense of relief to see her father beating the android so easily. "That's it Daddy! You can do it!" She cheered.

"Chiri!"

Chiri turned around and glanced up into the sky, relieved and smiling as Gohan landed close to her, Krillin and Yamcha close behind him. Gohan looked concerned for some reason which unnerved Chiri slightly. "F-Father!" He called.

"What's wrong, Gohan?" Chiri asked nervously.

"It's ok," Tenshinhan answered the boy's concerned cry. "Goku's power is incredible! Being a Super Saiyan must be glorious! Those androids talked a great fight but they're nothing against this."

"Daddy's winning, Gohan," Chiri added feeling more optimistic now that someone else seemed confident her father would win. The worried look on her brother's face didn't fade and Chiri started to doubt her own beliefs. Gohan knew their father far better than she did so if something was concerning him then she should be worried. Unsure of what it could be, Chiri looked away and back to her father and the android's fight.

The fight continued with Goku still dominating Android Nineteen, the mechanical man still unable to break free from the Super Saiyan's onslaught. Each strike felt just as strong as the last, Chiri watching intensely trying to gauge why Gohan seemed so worried. She didn't get it, she couldn't see any fault in her father's attacks and the android wasn't getting any lucky chances to strike back.

"... Have you noticed it too, Gohan?" Piccolo asked grabbing the other's attention, most of whom did not know what he was referring to. Gohan however seemed to be on the same page and nodded grimly.

"Oh... Yeah."

"Son Goku is rushing the battle for some reason," Piccolo explained for the benefit of the others. "He's giving it all he's got... but look at how weak he is."

Chiri raised her eyebrows in alarm and confusion. Her father's attacks certainly did not seem to feel weak to her! "What do you mean?" She asked.

"Weak? Did you say weak?" Tenshinhan repeated stunned. "What are you talking about, Goku's overwhelming the android!"

"This is nothing," Piccolo responded. "His power as a Super Saiyan should be far more staggering than this."

Chiri cautiously watched her father once more. Sure she'd noticed he didn't seem to be at full power but then again she assumed he hadn't needed to be, he was dominating the android already so what was the point of powering up even more? However she hadn't realised that her father was rushing the fight; she'd thought he'd just been that much stronger than the android and had totally outclassed the machine! Was there really such cause for concern?

Something did seem off about her father's energy and it was only now Chiri was noticing it. Now she could sense it, it stunned and disappointed her she hadn't noticed it before.

"Yamcha thought they could drain energy," Gohan spoke out. "Could that be it?"

"They what?!" Piccolo's voice was now filled with urgency as he craned his neck over his shoulder.

"When I found them, one of them grabbed my face with his hand," Yamcha explained, "Then it felt like my ki was being sucked out of me, even though I wasn't doing anything."

"They suck your energy?" Chiri repeated fearfully, panic starting to settle in once more but she attempted to still her racing heart. What exactly did that mean? Was it painful? Quickly she became fearful for her father's safety. If he wasn't careful, the fat android could take away all of his power and then he'd be in big trouble!

A terrific rumble shook the ground and the group of warriors returned their attentions back to the fight; Goku had kicked the android straight down to the ground and possibly through it, a large dirty plume of dust scattered into the air as a small wave of air struck them all. Chiri cautiously peered through the dust as best she could. It quickly thinned out revealing the android had been almost caught by the ground and almost buried by the displaced dirt. Within seconds the machine was rising to his feet, his clothes were a little tattered and dirty from the impact but he expressed no signs of pain. This unnerved Chiri though she quickly reminded herself this was an android and technically he was not a real living thing, so he probably could not feel pain.

"Look at him," Yamcha snarled in disgust, "He doesn't care about the beating he's getting."

"He's an android," Tenshinhan replied. "He doesn't feel any pain or fatigue."

Chiri momentarily looked back up towards her dad who was still hovering high up in the sky above. Now what would he do? The android now had an opportunity to attack but at the same time so did her father. He seemed to be shuddering slightly from what Chiri could see; he looked as if he was struggling for breath. Chiri'd never seen her father looking so tired. She'd been in that position many, many times during her training but it had never been the other way around! Regardless, her dad was tired and Chiri feared there was more to this than met the eye. He'd seemed very tired ever since they'd arrived in this place.

"H-Hey Gohan, Daddy's really tired today." She spoke out, feeling the need to let her brother know her concerns. If anyone would be able to help, it would be Gohan.

"What do you mean?" Gohan asked.

"I mean he's been really out of breath and huffing ever since we got here," Chiri explained worried. "Did Daddy not sleep well last night?"

"... Who knows...?" The look on Gohan's face worried Chiri further; she wasn't totally aware of it but she'd further confirmed Gohan's suspicions.

Goku drew his hands back to one side, cupping his palms together in a stance Chiri had come to know all too well from her training. With a bellow Goku threw his hands forward firing off a Kamehameha straight for his opponent.

In a move that shocked them all, the android did not flee nor did he put up his defences. Rather he seemed to hold out one hand as if planning to stop the Kamehameha with it. Chiri could not believe the arrogance and overconfidence of the machine but did not keep her eyes on him. Instead she squatted as close to the ground as she could, slapping her hands over her ears and peering through her squinting eyes as the attack closed in on its target, the light almost blinding her.

There was no explosion which baffled Chiri; she'd expected to have been overcome by a terrific explosion and thrown from her feet. Such was the power of her father's Kamehameha and she was wise to fear it! So why had that android stood its ground? Had Dr Gero managed to programme insanity into its processes? One quick glance led to a far longer second glance as her jaw dropped. The Kamehameha was acting strange, it had made contact with the android's hand but it was not exploding or damaging him in any way; the android himself was cackling with laughter. In a flash the entire beam of ki vanished!

A stunned silence gripped the group as they tried to make sense of what had just happened. Not even Goku seemed to know what the android had done.

"H-He absorbed it!" Tenshinhan cried at last.

"I was right!" Yamcha gasped. "They take your energy from their palms!"

The group of spectators was caught in a state of horror as the truth had dawned on them. Their opponents had the capabilities of sucking ki from them, whether it was through physical contact as it had been with Yamcha, or through draining the power from an energy attack such as her father's Kamehameha. The group were in trouble. It had seemed for a few minutes that they had the upper hand against their opponents as Goku dealt blow after blow to the mechanical Android Nineteen, but then suddenly the advantage had swapped to the android's side. They could drain energy but that was not all. Goku seemed to be weakening for some reason and Chiri could not understand why.

"Goku!" Piccolo called up to the weary Super Saiyan, "Don't use energy attacks! They absorb power through their hands! Don't let him touch you!"

Chiri could not see her father's reaction but could tell he was still short on breath, his shoulders hunching rapidly as he attempted to gather back much needed oxygen. The rate of his breathing was bizarre, even if he had just launched a Kamehameha! It was causing enough concern for both Piccolo and Gohan so something serious must be going on that Chiri was not aware of. She couldn't work it out; what was making her dad so tired? She wracked her brains as much as she could and could not come up with anything that made sense!

"Goku's acting weird," Krillin muttered; apparently he too had noticed it. "Did they drain that much of his ki already?"

"No, they haven't even touched him once," Piccolo shook his head.

"Oh!" Gohan gasped loudly.

Before anyone could ask, Android Nineteen bolted up rapidly towards his prey, Chiri's eyes pinned to the fight. Her father dodged the punch the android delivered, however this time his own strike was dodged by the android. It was almost as if they were watching a different fight. None of her father's moves were hitting like they had before, just minutes ago he'd dominated the android with his attacks and now he couldn't even land a punch, all the more growing weaker and weaker. Chiri's heart thumped strongly in her ribs, the adrenaline surging through her body as she grew more and more scared for her father. This wasn't right at all. She'd been told by her brother and by Krillin and had seen it for herself on many occasions; her father was the strongest fighter she knew. Even in that fight two years ago against that Cooler-guy, her dad had overpowered him once he'd transformed into a Super Saiyan. It was humbling but also terrifying to see her own dad in this state, knowing these monsters were here to kill them!

How arrogant she felt she'd been thinking this morning that she'd be able to make a difference. Chiri was now singing a different tune altogether and it was one her mother would definitely approve of! Any confidence that remained wasn't making itself known to her at this time, all she conclude was that today she would be of no use. That training she'd gone through wouldn't help anyone; she wouldn't last against these monsters.

Then finally Android Nineteen grabbed the advantage. One knee stuck Goku clean in the abdomen pushing him back across the ground. The Super Saiyan quickly recovered and managed to elbow his opponent in the cheek. Unlike before, the android did not shoot uncontrollably to the ground and land in a big heap of rubble; he barely budged a few metres to the right!

"Daddy's getting weaker," Chiri stuttered fearfully. "Come on Daddy... Win!" She desperately wanted to hold onto the knowledge of him being unbeatable, she wanted to still believe he could win this fight. He had to win!

The android slapped Goku to the side. Goku did not recover in time to avoid the next hit as Nineteen slammed his cupped fists into his chest, sending Goku plummeting towards the ground.

"Daddy!" Chiri cried, about to rush forward; a hand yanked her back. Chiri's head spun around and she was surprised to see Krillin holding her back. "Let me go! Daddy needs help!" She pleaded, surprised she'd even attempted to dash forwards. The monk just gave her a grim shake of the head, not loosening his grip on her wrist until her hopes seemed to fade and she sombrely submitted. He still held to her, certain if she was anything like Gohan, she'd want to do all she could to intervene. Krillin was honestly surprised Gohan hadn't tried a similar stunt yet but then again, he hoped Gohan was wiser and would know better.

Fortunately Goku had stopped inches from the ground, though clearly he was not thinking straight as he instinctively drew back his hands once more in that familiar stance.

"Goku!" Piccolo was quick off the mark. "Don't use the Kamehameha!"

Chiri watched begrudgingly as her father's hands lowered, once more she tried to break free but Krillin's grip was ever strong and did not falter. "Krillin, let go!" Chiri protested once more. "Daddy is in danger!"

"We can't help him Chiri," Krillin spoke with a stern tone which unnerved Chiri. However this time her sense to protect overruled her sense to obey authority. "Your dad's still in command! We can't do anything unless he says so!"

"B-But he can't say so if the android makes him fall asleep (this was how Chiri knew 'being knocked unconscious' as; her mother had insisted she at least be protected by such violent ideas such as knocking people out and worse!) or... or..." She could not finish her sentence out of fear. She did not want to acknowledge her father's limits and mortality. It was not possible for him to die, not again. He'd been wished back with the Dragonballs once already, it couldn't be done again.

"... I'm sorry Chiri but Krillin's right," Gohan spoke out, though he too seemed furious with the situation. "I want to help Father as much as you do but we can't do anything yet. He hasn't lost the battle yet... But there is something strange going on..."

"... You seemed to notice something earlier, Big Brother," Chiri mumbled feeling a little choked up. "What was it?"

"I don't know for sure," Gohan replied, his uncertainty reflected in the tone of his voice.

"What's wrong with Goku?" Yamcha's voice broke through the other's conversation; attention sprung back to Goku who had now placed both feet firmly upon the ground. He seemed even more exhausted than before and his breathing sounded loud and laboured. His skin was starting to lose colour slightly and he seemed to be sweating a fair bit, though the latter could have just been down to him fighting. "He looks like he's in a lot of pain," Yamcha had added. "Is he weakening?"

"Daddy..." Chiri's hands dropped to her sides. Finally Krillin let go of her wrist, though his hand then fell upon her shoulder in support. She felt helpless and useless and did not know how to help her father. He was clearly in pain, his breathing increasing in frequency, his hand clasped to his shirt tightly squeezing the material.

Once more Gohan gasped. "Oh, that's it!" He cried. "I knew it! Dad's sick with the heart virus!"

Chiri's head bolted around to face her brother, taking a few steps away from Krillin and over towards him. "His what?!" She gasped horrified. She had not been informed of any illness her father had! How did Gohan even know there was something wrong with his heart and that it was a virus and not bacteria? Chiri had the feeling he knew far more than he was letting on and she was cross he had not shared this information with her earlier!

"The viral disease that kid from the future mentioned!" Piccolo realised. Chiri couldn't believe it; two people that knew about this supposed virus that had not told her? Regardless of the secrets being kept she knew this meant real danger for her dad. The heart was a very important organ in the body and Chiri knew everyone needed one in order to live!

"That's ridiculous!" Krillin stammered. "The medicine surely made him better?! They just stole his energy, that's all!" He groped around in his shirt for something, quickly pulling out the small bag Chiri recognised as having the senzu beans in. She had been told of the magical restorative powers these tiny beans had and was relieved to see Krillin still held onto them. They obviously had worked on Yamcha earlier on so they surely should help her dad too. A small ray of hope seemed to be emerging.

Android Nineteen's feet tapped the ground as he landed opposite his opponent, Goku still struggling for breath, still clutching his chest around where his heart was.

"Goku, catch!" Krillin yelled as he leapt up and tossed forward a senzu bean which landed safely in the palm of Goku's hand.

"Thanks Krillin," Goku exhaled, hurriedly eating the bean. Chiri anxiously waited for her father's power to return.

"So that is the senzu bean which restores power and heals wounds..." Android Twenty spoke; he'd been very quiet during the entire battle and Chiri'd almost forgotten he was here!

Android Nineteen's eyes suddenly flashed, two twin eye beams bolting forward at lightning speed and striking the ground inches from where Goku had last been standing. Chiri could have sworn her heart had jumped into her throat, eyes frantically darting around trying to see through the thick dust. Fortunately her father emerged apparently unscathed, though the android was well prepared and had leapt up to meet him. To everyone's horror the machine successfully punched Goku down to the ground, the Super Saiyan landing almost crippled, struggling to get back to his feet. He seemed in even worse state than before!

Chiri did not understand. None of the others did either. The senzu bean had apparently had no effect at all!

"Why? Why didn't the senzu bean work?!" Krillin demanded flabbergasted.

"It has to be his heart!" Gohan insisted.

"But why?" Krillin demanded growing frustrated, "Why didn't the medicine heal him?!"

"What medicine?" Chiri asked, though she was ignored.

"Dad never got sick, so he never took the medicine," Gohan explained. "He was healthy the whole time."

No wonder Chiri had no clue what they were all going on about. Medicine her father was supposed to take, a virus everyone seemed to have expected him to get, talk about the man from the future giving him the medicine. Chiri had a fair few questions laid out for both her brother and Piccolo, mainly revolving around why neither of them had told her about all this!

One more kick from the android knocked Goku flying back several metres, crashing to the ground on his back. His ki was nowhere near what it had been. His hair suddenly darkened and lost its spiky look, the golden aura that had surrounded his body vanishing completely. This sent off alarm bells in everyone's minds, minus the androids of course.

"He's not even a Super Saiyan anymore!" Yamcha gasped.

"Daddy!" Chiri glanced over to Krillin quickly as if waiting for him to give the all-clear. "... Can we go now? Daddy's getting weaker and weaker and now he's got a heart virus attacking him!"

"Chiri stay put!" Piccolo barked loudly making the girl jump. He had far more an authoritative voice and had a knack for scaring Chiri into submission. She knew better than to cross him if she wanted to come away unscathed. She quietly stayed put though it was not easy. The android closed in on her floored father and leapt up, landing clean on Goku's chest. The Saiyan cried out in pain as the mechanical man stepped on his arms pinning him to the ground. One hand reached out and latched itself around Goku's neck, Goku's hands quickly grabbing the arm in a bid to remove it and stop himself from being suffocated. The damage had already been done, Android Nineteen had already started to drain him of his ki which was already dwindling because of the heart virus!

No matter which one did it first, her dad was going to die.

Chiri grumbled and screamed out in frustration, "Piccolo!"

"That's it!" Piccolo cried. "Goku's losing his energy, we have to intervene!"

Relieved to hear him give the all-clear but scared due to his tone of voice, Chiri was almost caught off-guard as her brother shot forward. She followed along with the others, all racing towards Goku in a bid to save him.

A blur before them shocked them all, Chiri colliding with her brother unexpectedly though she did not have much opportunity to apologise! Android Twenty hovered between them and their captive comrade, his arms wide open blocking their path. Chiri noticed the small circular object embedded in his palm and realised that could possibly be the device they used to drain people of their energy. She grew weary and hovered a little behind her older brother.

"You won't be going an inch past me," Twenty muttered, "but you can try if you want."

This was bad. Chiri anxiously looked past the android to her father. He was losing ki all the time, unable to free himself from the other android's grip. They were all he had! She couldn't stand to see her father in the state he was in and was desperate to help him in any way possible but the power standing between her and him was something she knew she would not manage to overpower. Twenty was just far too strong, she wouldn't stand a chance and she hated it!

"I'll try."

Piccolo lashed out with a swift kick. It missed, Twenty fired out a pair of beams from his eyes – an attack which was seeming rather popular today with these androids. The blasts pierced through Piccolo's chest and shot out his back; the Namekian warrior groaned in agony and plummeted to the ground, Gohan dashing after his mentor.

"What Piccolo just did now was not courage..." Twenty spoke, "It was stupidity!"

Chiri glared furiously at Twenty, clenching her fists with anger and attempting to override her fear. "You... You monster!" She screamed. Against her better judgement and with a surprising burst of bravery that had seemingly come from nowhere, she dashed forwards in a futile attempt to strike the android down for what he'd done to Piccolo. Not only did her punch miss but she was also dealt a heavy blow which sent her flying uncontrollably towards the ground, skidding a couple of paces before rolling several feet and finally coming to a stop. After the initial confusion had passed and her balance returned, Chiri suddenly felt a sharp pain in her cheek, her neck aching slightly along with several different pains dotted down the left side of her body. She'd taken a fair knock from that one strike and it had knocked some loosened tears to her eyes but defiantly Chiri fought them back. She would not cry, she had to be brave and strong and shrug off hits like they were nothing. Then again it had stung her pride to know she really didn't pose much of a threat to these guys. Her confidence in her own power was now wiped away; she'd thought she would have been able to have done something today but fate had decided against it.

She could hear her brother calling her, this gave her strength and she managed to sit herself upright, rubbing her throbbing cheek and flinching before finally attempting to rise to her feet.

Then there was a large crack. Chiri glanced over; it had come from where her father lay! Immediately joy struck her; the android had been knocked free from holding her father down, her father now free to move if he was able to. Then confusion and worry struck; there was a man standing by her father whom she did not recognise. He was shorter than most of the others here, though still a fair bit taller than Krillin. He wore unusual clothing, blue spandex-like clothing with what appeared to be a white vest of some sorts on top of it, white gloves and boots, and dark hair that stood upright like a flame.

"I'm the one who's going to defeat Kakarrot! I won't lose my revenge to a bunch of cheap toys!" The man declared.

'_... Who is he and... who or what is a Kakarrot?'_ Chiri wondered. He seemed to be on their side rather than the androids because he'd knocked the fat one off of her dad. She could sense a strong force of ki radiating from him and in a strange way it felt familiar, the characteristics of it similar to her father's in some ways but completely different in others.

"Vegeta!" Several of the others cried off from in the distance.

'_Vegeta?'_ Chiri repeated, remembering a conversation she'd been a part of earlier on when she first met up with Bulma; they'd started to speak of a man named Vegeta and he was the daddy of the little baby boy Bulma'd brought along. So he'd finally shown up just as her father had promised the others.

"P-Piccolo!" Gohan's voice caught Chiri's attention, she double-took with shock to see Piccolo sitting up, quickly rising to his feet! She couldn't believe it, she could have sworn he'd been struck down by Android Twenty's eye beams!

"Just when I had distracted them from Goku with my defeat, blasted Vegeta has to interrupt!" Piccolo snarled with a smirk upon his face.

"... Then... the android didn't really..." Gohan stammered.

"I don't care how strong they are; it'll take more than that to bring me down!"

Chiri turned back to observe Vegeta further, she wasn't standing too far away from him and her father although she was separated from the others.

"I saw everything..." The short warrior spoke, folding his arms as he glared down upon her father with a stony, cold look. "... You noticed the abnormality in your body and yet you chose to transform into a Super Saiyan anyway! Fool, you knew it would put more strain on your heart!" He paused for a moment. "... My target has always been you, Kakarrot..."

Goku was suddenly sent shooting across the battlefield as Vegeta kicked him clean off the ground! Chiri was horrified and astonished and immediately grew cross with Vegeta. "H-Hey!"

Piccolo caught Goku effortlessly and slowly dropped him to the ground; the others gathering around the floored fighter. Chiri did not immediately join but soon rushed over; checking her father was still alive was more important than shouting at that Vegeta guy for needlessly kicking him! He was sick, he didn't need to be kicked and plus kicking unprovoked wasn't nice! Her mother would have told her off for doing the same thing!

"Hold on Dad, hold on!" Gohan was saying worried as she finally approached, worry and fear etching across her face as she saw her father had his eyes closed. His energy was still weakening by the minute and he was growing paler. It was all she could manage to keep her tears at bay; seeing him this way was awful. He had to be taken back home so their mother could make him better.

"Someone drag him home and give him his medicine!" Vegeta barked from far off.

"It's gonna be ok Dad, I promise, I'm taking you home," Gohan started to throw his father over his shoulder, supporting him from under his arm.

"N-No, let me," Yamcha stepped forward, "... After all, I seem to be the least bit useful here..."

Chiri wasn't so sure she agreed with Yamcha. She felt pretty useless herself!

Without a word Gohan receded and let Yamcha take his father, slinging him clean over his shoulder. Chiri looked up to the scar-faced fighter and swallowed the lump that had been trying to choke her, "Please get him home safely, Mr Yamcha."

"No worries kid, your dad'll be just fine," Yamcha gave her a thumbs-up though to be honest it wasn't very reassuring due to the condition Goku was presently in.

"The boy from the future said that the disease is viral so it could be contagious," Piccolo warned, "It might be a good idea for you to take the medicine too."

"Oh, yeah. Thanks Piccolo."

"I'm counting on you Yamcha," Gohan added. "Take care."

With a small nod Yamcha took to the skies, Goku in tow. Chiri watched anxiously as the two left, scared for her father. She hoped that Yamcha could get him home in time to take this medicine everyone was talking about. She didn't like knowing the strongest person she knew was not with them and felt a little vulnerable just being here with Gohan and Piccolo, though Piccolo would not offer much support or protection. She didn't like the situation they were in at all. _'Please hurry and get better Daddy...'_


	14. IoC Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 – The Saiyan Prince Returns**

Android Nineteen was about to lunge after Yamcha who was retreating with the ill-stricken Goku; apparently the android was not content with letting their prey go. However, Android Twenty was quicker than his partner and had other ideas: "No Nineteen! There's no need to go after him! It might be more fun to save the best for last..." There was a layer of sadistic pleasure embedded in that last phrase which sent shivers and knots of disgust and discontentment within many of Goku's allies, most of whom were likely to prove little match for these mechanical monsters. Their greatest fighter had been struck down with his overdue illness, leaving it up to the rest of them to face their foes alone.

Nineteen did not move, instead resigned to standing on the spot, watching as his comrade finally descended to the ground between the group of fighters and Vegeta. Chiri watched with caution as he surveyed them and the other Saiyan. "Let's clean up these pesky flies first." The aged android continued, "Now that Vegeta's joined them, this could be a bit more interesting..."

Chiri backed a little closer to her brother once more as the android's cold eyes settled on their group before slowly trailing over towards Vegeta. This was bad, her father was down and out for the count and now they all stood awaiting their defeat and worse. She was only six-years-old; she didn't want to perish! No matter how much her mother had tried to shield her daughter from the harsh and cruel facts of life, Chiri was no fool. She knew today could very well be the day she was murdered, the thought petrified her and pierced her to her very soul, it felt as if she was constantly being stabbed in icy water just acknowledging the fact. Any other child would have long run away but she was no ordinary child; though she wanted to run away and save herself she knew she could not run. It would not solve the problem and she couldn't bear the fact she could very well lose her brother. Chiri would never forgive herself if Gohan were to die. In fact she was almost certain that it was her want to help keep Gohan safe that kept her rooted to the ground.

"S...Say, why are we still standing here?" Krillin asked quietly. "Shouldn't we retreat for now and come back later?"

"What?" Gohan murmured with surprise.

"Think about it," Krillin responded, "That guy from the future said that we fought the androids without Goku and all of us – including Vegeta – would be killed except for you, Gohan! The details are different but surely we're now in the same situation, right? So why let it happen? I say we get outta here and wait for Goku to get better!"

Chiri frowned disheartened in knowing what he said was true but feeling a little disappointed in Krillin. Her father, Piccolo and Gohan would want to stay until the very end and she had had that ideology drilled into her since her training had begun. There was no use in running and hiding from the opponent; no matter where she'd run they would eventually find her and in the meantime defenceless people would be hurt. She'd assumed all of her father's friends shared the same thoughts but apparently not!

"But if we run away, they'll just go on a rampage like they did in that city," Gohan spoke anxiously.

"... You're not as brave as I thought you were, Mr Krillin..." Chiri murmured quietly, though it wasn't unnoticed by many of the men standing around her, Krillin included.

"That's not what I'm getting at," Krillin hissed, "All I'm saying is let's wait until Goku gets better. I'm not saying let's run away and never fight these monsters!"

"It may be that things won't turn out as that boy predicted," Piccolo interrupted them, "There are some minor differences; Goku's illness was at a different time than the boy said it would be. His coming to the past probably affected our timeline in subtle ways... I say we act as if we never heard what that boy said and fight these androids."

That was the Piccolo she knew. Chiri gave a determined nod to the Namekian and clenched her fists in anticipation. It was all or nothing, there was no in between. These androids would no doubt have followed them if they'd tried to flee anyway, just as the fat one had almost followed Yamcha and her father.

Chiri picked up on Android Nineteen's voice, he was muttering something about challenging that warrior Vegeta who still had made no attempt to get away from the androids or even join the others.

"... You're so greedy," Twenty muttered, his voice clearer as he was closer to the group. "You've already multiplied your power by absorbing Son Goku's power... Fine, go ahead, you can have Vegeta. I'll take the other five."

The reference to her and the others sent a small and uncomfortable shudder through Chiri's body but she stood firmly ready for any move Twenty would try to pull on them. After a few seconds she was a little taken back to realise he didn't seem to be showing that much of an interest in them at all, his gaze focusing instead on Vegeta and Nineteen, the latter who'd just put up his defences. Chiri too began to observe the two warriors. Nineteen seemed ready to fight but Vegeta stood with his defences down, his arms still folded across his chest. She began to wonder what sort of fighter he would be and whether or not he was getting in way over his head.

At last Vegeta unfolded his arms, "...I know from my limited observations that your legends far outstrip the reality. The palms of your hands seem to draw in energy, I'll need to watch out for those..."

"You say you were watching the entire time but you missed the most important part," Nineteen's tinny voice reminding Chiri he was not human despite what his appearances would suggest. "We know all of your capabilities Vegeta."

"So you say but you seemed pretty surprised when Kakarrot transformed into a Super Saiyan," Vegeta responded, the small smirk on his face unwavering. "You thought your mathematical projections would give you all the information you needed to know. We Saiyans can't be reduced to numbers..."

"Um... Gohan," Chiri whispered quietly but was abruptly hushed by her brother. "What's a Kakarrot?" She asked impatiently and slightly irked she'd been told to be quiet!

"It's the name Vegeta calls Dad, I'll explain it to you later, just let me concentrate on this battle," Gohan hurriedly replied in a hushed voice.

"I'm curious, do androids feel fear?"

If Gohan's wishes to watch the fight had not been enough to deter Chiri from more questioning, Vegeta's actions certainly had! His ki exploded to an unfathomable height in less than a second; the sudden surge almost made Chiri's heart stop dead in its tracks as her body was assaulted by yet another bout of adrenaline and shock. She wasn't the only one caught by surprise; the others around her all seemed to look like deer caught in headlights as Vegeta's hair shimmered blonde, the golden aura encircling his body as his titanic ki surged through his body. Even the two androids seemed surprised to see him standing before them as a Super Saiyan. Chiri did not understand much about Super Saiyans other than the fact her father was one and it was a terrifying thing to be on the opposing side. She'd been told by her father and Gohan about its power and how Goku was the only Saiyan who could do it, besides the boy from the future. Chiri had not realised Vegeta was also a Saiyan just like her father!

"He's a Super Saiyan?" Gohan spluttered in disbelief, hair waving around due to the energy the Saiyan was expelling from his body. His initial wave of power had knocked Nineteen from his feet and the stout android was only just rising back onto them.

"No way, why is he a Super Saiyan?!" Krillin sounded just as shocked as Gohan though there was a more noticeable twinge of annoyance in his voice. "I thought you had to have a calm, pure heart?!"

"My heart is pure..." Vegeta muttered overhearing the loud warrior, "... Pure evil!"

'_Evil? Wait... that can't be right... He's on our side, isn't he?'_ It didn't quite add up in Chiri's mind just how someone claiming to be evil could be on the same side battling against the androids rather than fighting alongside them. She'd always thought it was as clear as day and night; there was the good side and the bad side. She had never even considered the possibility of the two types mixing up. She rejected Vegeta's comment, it could not be possible. She instead listened in as the Saiyan began to explain the path he'd walked to becoming this legendary warrior.

"I desired nothing but to become stronger and I endured a training from Hell... however I soon ran into a wall; my own limitations. Not even training at four-hundred-and-fifty times normal Earth gravity seemed to push me beyond them so I travelled into space where I would not be distracted by the hindrances of the Earth. Even there in the midst of a meteor shower could I surpass these limitations, fighting for my ship and my life! It infuriated me to the point that I turned my rage upon myself. In that rage I felt towards myself, I finally awoke and transformed into a Super Saiyan. I overflowed with joy; finally I could defeat Kakarrot and return as the true Saiyan Prince!"

"Enough of this prattle," Twenty muttered tired, "Turn into what you will. You are still no match for us, just like Son Goku."

Android Nineteen charged straight towards Vegeta (a move which Chiri had not been expecting so fast!), firing off several eye beams as he surrounded the Saiyan from many angles, engulfing the warrior in thick smoke. Chiri attempted to adjust her fighting instincts, picking up Vegeta's ki with no trouble and attempting to assess the damage though this was hard to do because of how unbelievably high Vegeta's ki reading was! As the dust started to thin out and it became easier to see, it because apparent that no damage had been dealt to the warrior. Once more Nineteen closed in pulling one clenched fist back, tossing it ahead and striking Vegeta clean between the eyes. Chiri had to flinch at the move though once she'd opened her eyes she was surprised to see Vegeta had only stumbled back half a step and was reeling his head slowly back to its rightful position, that same confident smile on his face.

"Just as I thought, you're nothing!" Vegeta jeered. "I forgot to mention, when I become a Super Saiyan my ferocity and aggression increases... You don't feel pain, do you? You're lucky..."

His leg drove clean into Nineteen's stomach; if anyone had blinked at that moment they would have missed the movement completely. Chiri had struggled to follow it but to her it had seemed like a flash of a blur. Nineteen reeled as the shock of the attack reverberated through his mechanical body. Vegeta's elbow cracked against his cheek knocking him clean off his feet and displacing the android's domed hat which clattered somewhere to the wayside. Another kick to the chin forced Nineteen to make contact with the ground, crashing and scraping against the dirt and driving up dust as the Super Saiyan casually walked towards him.

"He's amazing," Chiri mumbled quietly to herself, mesmerised by Vegeta's dominance over the android. Even her father hadn't shown this kind of superiority over him, more rushed and frenzied in his attacks. The android seemed to be taking longer to recover from the hits it was taking too. Chiri wondered if now would be the time Vegeta would suddenly come down with the same heart virus as her father... She prayed her father was ok and that Yamcha was almost at her home.

"What's the matter?" Vegeta mused as he stopped inches from his opponent, "Did your scrap metal brain screw up its calculations?"

Nineteen bolted up onto his feet at a terrifying speed but Vegeta was faster still; not only did he avoid Nineteen's headbutt, he managed to duck under him, support himself with his hands and slam both feet straight into the android's belly, the machine shooting into the clouds above. The battle took to the sky, Chiri craning her neck to get a decent view as Vegeta effortlessly dodged Nineteen's onslaught. A single strike between the eyes stopped the android in its tracks, though quickly it retaliated with his ever faithful twin eye beams. Vegeta avoided once again and this time pushed the android with force dead at the group below!

Chiri gasped and quickly ran as fast as she could seconds before Nineteen struck the ground, plummeting straight through it and dispelling rock and dust which shot high into the atmosphere, the thick cloud of debris quickly swallowing Chiri up. Anxiously she kept on running, quickly rushing out from the outside of the cloud and spotting the others a few metres in front of her. A little embarrassed she had not thought of flying with the others, she quickly rushed over to them without making any eye contact before turning her eyes back to the dust she'd just escaped from. The cloud was thick and stung her eyes but it quickly began to pan away and thinned out. From what she could see from the crater (she was short even for a six-year-old, so could barely see much below the surface), Vegeta stood upright, his pointy hair barely poking up into her view. Chiri went to take a couple of steps forward to gain a better view but was held back by a cautious Gohan, who shook his head when her eyes glanced over to him. "I can't see though, Gohan," Chiri frowned. "What's going in? Where'd the android go?"

Gravel shifted and a gasp of shock from Krillin made her panic; Chiri's head spun back around. Vegeta still appeared to be standing. Anxious to see she gently floated a little ways off the ground so she was now at Gohan's level. From what she could see Android Nineteen was kneeling and had grabbed hold of both of Vegeta's wrists. This was bad; she could sense the Saiyan's energy being drained away. "Oh no! Mr Vegeta!" She cried.

"I have you now and I'll hold you until I drain you dry!" Nineteen's voice came from the crater, "It's no use kicking, I'll never let go!"

"Never huh? Let's see."

Vegeta suddenly sprung his legs up, rotating backwards and pushing his feet against the android's face. From where she stood Chiri could hear the strain on the machine's metal body, she could see the apparent discomfort on his compressed face as the prince applied more and more pressure, yanking the android's arms further and further forward. Still his power was falling and Chiri was scared the android would eventually gain the advantage. If that happened then she dreaded to think what would happen to Vegeta and the rest of them – including her!

"Don't let go now," Vegeta jeered straightening his legs ever so slightly more. "... I see. You do absorb energy through your hands, then you add that energy to your own..."

"I'll never let you go!" Nineteen growled through a strained voice, his voice distorted slightly from the lack of movement of his lips, his face being pressed constantly back.

"That's the spirit, Android! Never say die!" With a bellow and a sudden straightening of his entire body, Vegeta ripped himself free, tearing the android's wrists clean from his arms, the palms still tightly attached to his own wrists. Chiri shrieked in horror and quickly squinted away in disgust; not seeing Nineteen strike the wall of the small crater with shock and disbelief. Hurriedly she landed back on her own feet and stood behind Gohan in some sort of defensive move. She didn't want to be near that horrifying sight, it had stuck a bad chord with her and had frightened her. She'd never seen anything so violent in her entire life!

"Chiri, focus!" Piccolo's voice made her jump, Chiri reluctantly looking up to him through half-lidded eyes. "Do not turn away! You wanted to be here along with your father, brother and I, remember? This is what battle is! Stop being a baby and watch, do not turn away. Do not cower behind your brother and honour the fight!"

Reluctantly Chiri stepped out from behind Gohan who gave his sister a sympathetic glance; it hadn't been long ago since he too had been in the same shoes as his little sister. Quickly he'd been forced to become accustomed to it and had learnt to shrug it off and ignore the brutality. However he knew how empathetic his little sister was and how much a sight such as this would distress her. He too was suffering to watch this though for a different reason, he could not be the big brother he wanted to be and support his little sister; Piccolo would look down on it and shout at them both. It was for her own good in the Namekian's own view and Gohan knew better than to disregard that. If Chiri truly wanted to be involved in these kinds of events, she'd have to get over the initial shock, even if he feared it would result in a numbing sensation within her.

Vegeta was removing the android's amputated hands from his wrists, observing them intensely, "I see. You absorb energy through these things on your palms... But that's not going to happen anymore." He tossed the two hands to the floor and began to approach the cowering android who'd resigned to leaning back into the wall for comfort. "... So you feel fear?" Vegeta asked amused, "A damn doll?"

Nineteen screamed and scurried up the wall of the crater, pulling himself up onto level ground and dashing away from the small crowd past Twenty who'd remained silent throughout the entire ordeal. Chiri watched horrified as Vegeta ascended a few dozen metres into the air and held out one arm directly toward the fleeing machine. Something about this didn't sit well with her; the android was scared, was fleeing for his life. Chiri couldn't let him be hurt!

"Enough!" Twenty cried.

"Don't be absurd!" Vegeta snapped. "It's enough because you're losing! You've come here to destroy us! Fool, you're going to have to finish what you started!" With that he fired up his energy and began charging ki into his palm, the ball of ki shimmering brightly and almost blinding Chiri. She struggled to see the android who now seemed to have run far from where she and the others stood. The energy radiating off the Saiyan was starting to push her back on her feet a little, forcing her to dig her feet into the dust slightly to gain more of a grip on the ground.

"Take this! Super Vegeta's Big Bang Attack!" Vegeta bellowed. The terrific attack was fired straight for its opponent. In an instant the entire area went up in a flash of light, the roar so loud Chiri couldn't hear anything or make sense of anything around her, resorting to squatting once more, clamping her hands over her ears and shutting her eyes tightly. The terrifically deafening sound rumbled throughout the ground and her small body like a large rumble of thunder.

The noise and light quickly died down. When she deemed it safe enough to look, Chiri turned her head and felt her jaw drop as her heart stopped. A large mushroom cloud rose thousands of metres up into the atmosphere; a large section of the land before her had been completely flattened out by the explosion, almost unrecognisable from what it had been before. In the centre of it all she saw a small object fall from the skies and roll a couple of times across the dust.

Nineteen's head.

Just when she'd thought things could not have gotten more gruesome than before, they'd proven her wrong! She glanced worryingly at her brother who didn't notice her watching him; he seemed more interested in what Vegeta had done to the ground before them all. Everyone else seemed amazed and stunned by what they'd just seen, a twinge of horror pinned on all of their faces. Chiri resigned herself to suffering in silence and took another long look at the scenery before them. It was horrifying, an apocalyptic scene from her nightmares. She did not wish to be here, she wanted to be somewhere safe with her mother and father. Her ill, virus-stricken father...

She wished he were here still with them.

"... We may have miscalculated but you still have no hope of victory," Twenty spoke, sounding alarmingly indifferent to the destruction of his comrade. Now it was just Twenty and Vegeta.

The Super Saiyan smirked and descended, landing between the android and the small group of onlookers. Chiri watched with a hint of distress and disgust as her eyes fixated on the two, though this was not directed towards the machine. She was horrified with seeing a head sitting nonchalantly upon the ground but now harboured a fear for how brutal Vegeta had been towards Android Nineteen; ripping off both his hands and then destroying his entire body with a powerful and terrifying attack when the android clearly had no interest in fighting any longer. She'd never known anyone to act so cold towards another living being, even if it had only been an android. As far as Chiri was concerned, android or not the machine was very much alive and was clearly showing signs of fear. Vegeta'd gone too far.

To everyone's surprise Vegeta reverted from his Super Saiyan form and began to dust himself off. "I've lost a lot of energy." He spoke with an air of indifference. "Now's your chance to defeat me. Go ahead, come at me."

Twenty seemed to be eyeing the Saiyan suspiciously watching his every move, yet Vegeta made no attempt to catch the android by surprise and attack. Chiri watched confused as the two fighters continued to converse, not really sure what was about to happen or whether or not Twenty would take Vegeta up on his offer. The Saiyan seemed to be heckling the android...

Suddenly Twenty bolted from the spot dashing straight for the rocky terrain!

"He's running!" Krillin gasped. "He's gonna hide in the rocks!"

"Hey! Give me a senzu bean!" Vegeta bellowed finally turning his attention to the others behind him. Krillin seemed hesitant which only seemed to annoy the Saiyan more. "Hurry up, do you want him to get away?!" He snapped, brow burrowing further.

"Give him a senzu," Piccolo instructed. On Piccolo's order, Krillin dove into his shirt and pulled free the senzu bag, fondling around inside it and chucking a small looking bean over to Vegeta who effortlessly caught it.

'_I remember those...' _Chiri took note. She recalled having to use senzu beans during the fight with Cooler and his men and remembered her big brother had gone to collect some to help their father, who'd taken a battering from a single ki attack from Cooler. Eager to see the effects of the bean at work once more, she kept her eyes on the Saiyan as he ate the bean. Instantly she felt the increase in his power as it returned to normal. Vegeta wasted no time in transforming once again into a Super Saiyan and turned his back to the small crowd.

"Why don't you guys go home and drink some milk or something? Just stay out of my way!" With that he took off in the same direction Twenty had vanished off to.

The comment left Chiri confused though judging by everyone else's reactions she guessed he'd insulted them in some way. Where was the insult? She liked milk... and now she'd rather be safe at home!

"Drink milk, my butt! What a jerk!" Krillin snapped agitated.

"He may be a jerk but he's a smart jerk at that," Piccolo responded, sounding ever calm. "He really did lose most of his energy just to confirm the androids drain energy through their palms. If Android Twenty had stood his ground he'd have beaten Vegeta easily. It was a beautiful bluff; he truly is a great warrior."

"A bluff, eh?" Chiri murmured to herself. She had to ask Gohan what a bluff was later, guessing now was not a good time!

"He might have surpassed even Goku..." Piccolo added.

There was an uneasy silence amongst the rest of the group though eventually Tenshinhan spoke out, "I'm following him. I at least want to know that android will be destroyed."

"I'm going too," Krillin agreed.

"Me too," Gohan nodded, "What'd be the point in all that training if I don't go?"

"If you're going Gohan then I wanna go too," Chiri perked up not wanting to be left alone. Her dad wasn't here right now so the next best person to stick close to was Gohan.

"Agreed, we'll all go," Piccolo decided. "If you see the android, don't try to fight him. None of you could last long against him. He has no ki for us to detect so we'll have to be careful. He'll probably be hiding amongst the rocks. If any of you find him, let me or Vegeta know."

"Let's go!" Tenshinhan took off in the direction Vegeta and the android had vanished off into, Chiri following the others. She couldn't help shake off her nerves as they divided up and each dove into a separate area. Indeed the entire scenery around her was covered in rocky outcrops and crags, many of which were very deep and dark. She could sense the others around her but that was of little comfort to her as she descended into a shallow crag and landed safely upon a plateau. She cautiously scanned the area pretending she was playing hide-and-seek, however remembering who it was she was searching for quickly took out the fun.


	15. IoC Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 – Hunt Down Twenty**

The minutes ticked by and Chiri found herself wandering through a large fissure which wove deep into the rocky walls either side of her. The sun's rays didn't reach her down here, the cold dank chill of the gap in the ground making her shiver. The dark shadows looming across the narrow pathway she walked down scared her and not knowing what was around the corner made her that more tense. Needing some sunlight to warm herself up again Chiri leapt onto one of the walls of the fissure and clambered up to a higher level. She found a higher plateau around three-quarters of the way up, this was washed in sunlight so she chose to continue her search as she could see further around the snaking corners. Here the rocky wall wasn't as steep and she found herself able to lean on it as she walked, eyes peeled for any signs of movement. The sound of rocks tumbling behind her made her blood freeze and Chiri whirled around. Nothing seemed to be there but she was certain there were eyes watching her somewhere. Feeling increasingly nervous being by herself she continued along the plateau which eventually widened into a level outcrop, the rocky wall falling and levelling out beside her, the steep cliff edge running sharply off to her left. She continued to walk, her pathway now sloping slightly down between another outcrop which rose on her right.

Something tapped her on the shoulder. Chiri shrieked loudly and swung around, palm open as it struck whatever it was behind her with a large slap. "Leave me alone Mr Android! I don't have any energy you can have!"

"Ow... Geez Chiri, you hit hard!"

Chiri instantly gasped and opened her eyes in shock. It was Krillin; he stood as if he'd stumbled back a little, one hand nursing his now reddening cheek. Chiri bowed several times nervously, "I'm r-really sorry Mr Krillin, I didn't mean to hit you! Please don't tell my mother! It was an accident!"

"I know," Krillin hushed the girl, "I take it you haven't seen any sign of the android... yet...?" The look of sheer terror Chiri had on her face stopped him mid question; her eyes had enlarged somewhat comically which reminded Krillin of a puppy more than anything. "... What is it?" He asked nervously.

"... I'm really sorry..." Chiri sniffed, feeling embarrassed she'd screamed so loud and freaked out, and feeling terrified she'd hit someone. Her mother would surely ground her and stop her from playing out with the local animals again! She couldn't bear the thought, especially since she'd just made friends with a new lizard the other day!

"Hey don't worry about it, I'm fine, really!" Krillin smiled. "Remember what Piccolo said, if you see the android then let Piccolo or Vegeta know. You can sense their ki, right?"

"Yeah," Chiri nodded with a sniff.

"Good, then I'll leave you to it," Krillin responded calmly. "Let's hope neither of us comes across him, eh?"

"Y-Yeah," Chiri nodded, watching as Krillin leapt over the outcrop they'd been standing beside. She was alone once more.

The path she'd been travelling down led her through a narrow passageway and slowly rose up again. Chiri continued to wander through the rocky terrain uncertain as of where she currently was. How deep into the rocky terrain had she travelled by now? How far from the others was she? Chiri came to a quick stop and hurried to locate her brother, Tenshinhan, Piccolo and Vegeta's energies. Once she'd found them she turned the corner and peered over the edge of the outcrop.

Her jaw dropped.

Down below her staring out on a slightly lower outcrop was the android! Almost instantly he seemed to realise she was nearby, his head whirled around and eyes fell on her. Chiri felt like a deer caught in the headlights, her body wouldn't move even when Twenty rose to his feet now giving her his full attention. She couldn't find her voice and couldn't make her legs move, she couldn't make her brain work!

A glimmer of light came from the right corner of her eye. It was enough to distract her; in that instant Twenty had vanished, Chiri double-taking as she realised he'd vanished! "Wh-Where'd he go?!" She spluttered.

"Vegeta don't! We're down here too!" She heard Krillin's voice faintly in the distance, her eyes drawn back up to the light that'd appeared.

On closer inspection it was Vegeta, at least fifty feet up in the air above them charging up a pretty strong energy ball! Her brain went from being frozen to being panicked and she began to jump from foot to foot on the spot, uncertain what else to do! "No! No, no, no, no, no!" She jabbered hopping around in a blind panic!

Vegeta fired off the energy attack. Chiri could see the spot the attack would strike though she was certain her eyes were deceiving her! It couldn't be right! Twenty stood directly below the incoming attack, hands held out towards the beam as if welcoming it. The little girl gasped as she realised what he was about to do; the same thing she'd seen that other android do to her father's Kamehameha.

The energy attack hit but it did not explode, rather it was sucked into the palms of the android, supposedly giving him an energy boost as Piccolo and Vegeta had suggested. In an instant the attack had completely vanished leaving nothing to suggest it had even happened. Then in a flash Twenty was gone; instead Vegeta stood in his spot but only for a moment. In the blink of an eye he too had vanished.

Chiri was back to square one, having to locate the android after finally finding him! She continued her search after calming her frantic heart and taking in several breaths to calm herself down! The frustration slowly got to her the more time went by, all she could find were more and more narrow passageways snaking their way through the rocks. It felt as if time had stopped, Chiri could feel herself growing tired and could feel her stomach churning with every rock she had to peer around. She wasn't entirely sure if she was hungry or nervous.

Suddenly she noticed a small drop in one of the other's ki. On closer inspection it seemed to be Piccolo! Anxious and fearful for the Namekian's life, Chiri located the direction he was in compared to her and broke into a swift run, suddenly leaping into the air as she remembered she had the power of flight! There, about fifty metres in front of her underneath a small ledge Piccolo was hovering, a strange-looking shape clinging to his back. Chiri gasped realising that strange object was the android! Piccolo's ki suddenly stopped falling as a shadow swept behind him causing the android to fall clean off of his prey, not quite hitting the ground as he caught control.

"Gohan!" Chiri smiled with relief as she finally caught up to the two warriors, Piccolo's breath short and shallow as he attempted to recover from the assault. Gohan stood protectively between his mentor and the android enemy, guard ever up. Chiri joined him, floating a little ways behind her brother and standing before Piccolo. "Don't worry Mr Piccolo, Gohan'll beat him!"

As if on cue, Tenshinhan, Krillin and Vegeta all converged now joining the rest of the troupe. Android Twenty was trapped.

"Krillin!" Gohan shouted across the canyon, his voice carrying slightly and echoing off the rocky walls. "Give Piccolo a senzu bean!"

"Right!" Krillin called back, fumbling around in the small sachet before tossing up a tiny senzu bean, which Piccolo caught effortlessly with one hand. Chiri kept both eyes keenly peeled on the android who seemed to be observing the six warriors surrounding him, Chiri guessing he was trying to find a way out. She felt a renewed sense of anticipation and determination to make sure this time the android did not run away.

Piccolo suddenly darted towards the ground below, Gohan calling out for his mentor in concern. Chiri's eyes flicked to the warrior momentarily as he began to remove his weighted clothing, tossing them to the ground with a heavy thud. "Stay out of this, Vegeta! Don't interfere." He ordered.

The Saiyan didn't immediately respond though for what hadn't been the first time today, there was a cold scowl across his face. After a moment or two he spoke. "Fine. I don't care if you get yourself killed but won't you be adding to his energy?" He responded.

Chiri had missed the insult, too preoccupied with worrying for Piccolo's safety. She wasn't sure how he'd manage to deal with Twenty, especially since earlier on he'd been wounded by the android when he'd tried to help her dying father. Piccolo wasn't the type of warrior to charge in head-on without a plan, he'd come across as a serious, hard-working fighter who wouldn't hold back in the same sense her father or brother would.

Piccolo vanished for a moment completely from her sight, Chiri blinking in surprise and shock when Android Twenty suddenly shot backwards, unfortunately stopping himself in mid-air though he seemed just as stunned to see Piccolo hovering in the spot he'd been in just a second ago! The blow to his jaw had caught him off-guard, even Vegeta seemed impressed with Piccolo's speed. A small glimmer of hope dared to flower in Chiri's head, growing eager to see Piccolo continue to hold the advantage. Twenty charged to attack, his own speed just as terrifying. It wasn't enough; Piccolo lodged his elbow clean into the machine's skull sending him crashing down into the ground, vanishing into the large plume of dust and debris which swallowed him up on impact.

"Gohan, Gohan, Piccolo's winning!" Chiri beamed in anticipation and joy.

"Yeah," Gohan nodded with a small, proud smile on his face.

Android Twenty slowly rose from the rubble and for a moment seemed to be contemplating his next move or thinking or something, Chiri wasn't entirely sure what. It was of little use to him; one more attack saw him denied and once more sent straight for the rubble. The dirt rose higher this time, carried by the wind and engulfing Krillin and the other spectators within its stagnant self. Chiri covered her eyes protectively from the oncoming fragments, holding her breath a little. She could see through the thinning cloud but couldn't see the android anywhere. Piccolo was a fair few metres ahead of them, barely visible in the cloud of dirt.

Suddenly Android Twenty lunged forward with greater speed, pulling up more molecules of dust as he approached hindering everyone's view.

"He grabbed him!" Gohan cried.

Chiri's eyes frantically tried to scan the scene before her but she was unable to see Piccolo anymore. Attempting to gauge onto his ki, she was relieved to notice his ki had neither risen nor fallen.

"No wait... Piccolo grabbed the grabber!" Gohan's voice carried over the wind.

The clearing smog meant Piccolo quickly came back into view. Android Twenty was inches from the Namekian, one of his palms desperately struggling to reach forward and latch onto Piccolo's face. Piccolo restrained the android with one arm tightly gripping to the android's wrist. With one fluid movement, Piccolo pulled the android up and slashed through his restrained arm, the android falling slightly and now missing one hand. Though the sight grossed her out, Chiri knew it was necessary and now the android would not be able to steal Piccolo's ki. Still, she couldn't bring herself to look! This was all too brutal for what she was used to and not for the first time today (and probably not the last), she wished she hadn't dared come along to this battle.

"Know this," Piccolo warned. "We can amplify what you call energy into one tremendous burst. What you stole from me just now was nothing!"

Piccolo had the cowering android cornered.

Chiri breathed a small sigh of relief. "Now he can't steal any more ki! Does that mean we've won, Gohan?" She asked uncertain.

"I think it does," Gohan nodded with a smile. "We won!"

Twenty did not try to attack, mumbling loudly in his confusion. "How did this happen?" He spoke more to himself.

"We were supposed to have been killed by you two androids," Piccolo explained, "...but whether you weren't as tough as we thought or we grew too strong, the result is that the future has been changed!"

"We did it! We won without needing Goku's help," Krillin smiled relieved.

"I don't like seeing Vegeta and Piccolo so powerful, but for now it's good," Tenshinhan muttered.

"Piccolo, finish him off!" Vegeta jeered, "... Or do I have to step in?"

"No thanks," Piccolo snorted, "I began as the evil side of Kami reincarnated, I'm not as soft as Goku..."

Chiri held her breath a little, her nerves starting to spike once more. Now it was time for the android to meet his unfortunate but necessary death, or so everyone else would tell her. Chiri wasn't so sure she wanted to be around to watch him be killed even if he was a villain; the sudden destruction of the fatter android by Vegeta earlier on in the day had caught her by surprise. Thinking back to it sent shivers and anxiety through her, seeing the machine's head roll across the ground, still and lifeless. It didn't matter to her whether or not strictly speaking these villains were living creatures or man-made creatures, they could still feel just like she was able to. That was the most haunting part of it all. The mere thought distressed her and she tried to shake herself from the growing feeling of being overwhelmed by empathetic tears.

Before any killing could be done, a strong ki signal suddenly went detected amongst the group, several heads turning to face the direction the incoming energy was coming from. Chiri felt it but was clueless to who it was; they had a terrific amount of ki but question was, who did it belong to? Her father was poorly so it couldn't be him; Yamcha wasn't near as strong as this person.

"Who's coming?" Gohan asked. A small dot of light appeared on the horizon, gradually growing larger and larger until finally it closed in on the group.

Chiri observed the unknown warrior, first noticing his striking lavender hair dancing in the wind. He wore a purple jacket with a dark grey tank-top below, with black 'sparring' trousers (or what she called sparring trousers!) and boots. There also seemed to be some sort of sword attached to him around his chest. She didn't recognise him at all but from the sounds of it the others were already acquainted with him. Piccolo mumbled something incoherent; the only one close enough to possibly make out his words was Vegeta.

"Who is this?" The lavender-haired boy asked taking a keen glance towards the android. "You were fighting him, weren't you?"

"Who's that guy, Gohan?" Chiri asked wanting to know the answer. Gohan didn't answer her much to her annoyance; he seemed far more preoccupied with paying attention to the boy.

"What?" Krillin gasped shocked. "What did he say? Th-These aren't the androids?"

"If this isn't the right android then who is it?!" Vegeta's loud voice carried across the wind as he pointed down towards Twenty, who'd resigned himself to standing still.

"Maybe it's no big deal," Krillin suggested. "History turned out differently anyway, right? Maybe the androids changed from what he knew too?"

"I hope so..." Tenshinhan replied worried.

Chiri's head whirled from side-to-side as she looked to everyone else for answers. Everyone seemed to be shocked about something and she felt she was missing the bigger picture! Who was this strange man with the sword and why was everyone suddenly looking as if they'd been given bad news? Weren't they just about to beat the androids and be done with fighting them?

"Gohan!" She protested pulling on his wrist band, "Gohan, what's going on? Who's he? Why's everyone sad?"

"Chiri, please!" Gohan replied sounding a little irritated, "Not now, I'll explain later! Just let me listen to the conversation!" His head turned away as a high-pitched sound came from the same direction the boy had appeared from. Annoyed she was being ignored, Chiri begrudgingly waited and instead glanced over to where she could hear the noise coming from. A small object was shining in the distance, the sun glinting off the side of it almost blinding her a little. It drew closer and closer, Chiri soon able to make out the contours and curves of the object which she now believed to be an aircraft of some sort, able to seat one or two people in judging by its small size. There were two small ki signals which were nothing special inside, with one slightly bigger one.

'_Who is that?' _She wondered.

"Hey, isn't that Bulma's plane?" Krillin asked.

The craft descended closer towards them and the rocky landscape below. Indeed it was Bulma and apparently Yajirobe had tagged along; Bulma was waving as the group as she circled around them. A wave of panic and concern hit Chiri, this was a dangerous spot for someone like Bulma to be in!

"Get away!" The lavender-haired boy bellowed up towards the craft. "Don't come any closer!"

"I spoke the truth when I said you had no chance!" Twenty's sudden announcement ripped Chiri away from attending to Bulma and she glanced back down to him; the android looked threatening. "Numbers Seventeen and Eighteen will come for you soon!"

"Seventeen and Eighteen?" Several of the warriors repeated to themselves in astonishment and concern. Before any of them could lunge towards the android, Twenty had fired off a large and powerful attack, swallowing the immediate area in a bright light of energy. Chiri was nearly caught off-guard by the sudden shockwave as the earth violently erupted below her, shielding herself from the harrowing wind with her arms as best she could, clamping her eyes shut as the deafening roar shut out all other sounds.

When the main force of the explosion had died down and the light grew dimmer, Chiri dared to open her eyes and lower her arms. She gasped in shock; the entire area was engulfed in a thick cloud of dust and debris, she could no longer see the bottom or the android. Then she recalled Bulma had been flying in her craft close to them, her attention darting across to her whereabouts. There was no sign of her craft but she was certain she could sense all three ki signals were still there.

A small but noticeable shrill cry came from down below, it sounded like a baby crying.

"They're ok, they're down there!" Krillin pointed spotting two large shadows through the thinning smog below them. Chiri scanned the spot as she followed Krillin and Gohan to the ground, anxious to make sure Bulma was unhurt and to work out whom the other shadow was. On closer inspection it seemed the lavender-haired boy had rescued Bulma; her ship was caught at the bottom of a narrow cavern beside them, now laying in twisted metal pieces amongst the rocks. The three landed and rushed up to the two, the boy rising to his feet as Bulma placed her crying baby out in front of her to inspect him; fortunately he didn't seem to be injured.

"Are you ok?" Chiri asked anxiously.

"Y-Yeah, we're ok," Bulma nodded a little shaken but smiling, "This young man saved us! Thank goodness Trunks is ok!"

Chiri sighed in relief, eyes quickly following the boy from the future who'd suddenly sprung up into the air, heading directly for Vegeta who was still some distance up above them. Curiosity caught her but she did not wish to pry, instead she turned her attention back to Bulma and Trunks. "That was a big fall you had, Miss Bulma."

"Yeah..." Bulma mumbled pondering to herself before looking towards Krillin. "So that guy was one of the androids you were fighting?"

"Yeah," Krillin nodded.

"I'm not so sure," Bulma shook her head, "I think that was actually Dr Gero."

"What?" Gohan gasped. "Are you sure?"

"Who's Dr Gero?" Chiri asked unsure.

"I've seen his picture in an academic journal," Bulma continued. "It's strange though... did he alter his body and turn himself into a cyborg?"

"Hey!" Chiri protested loudly, growing tired of being ignored. Her outburst caught the attention of the three around her but unfortunately it set Trunks off as well! Chiri winced a little at the baby's cry feeling a little guilty she'd set him off, but nevertheless she stood her ground whilst she still had their attention. "Can somebody please tell me who this doctor man is?"

"Chiri, it's the man who created the androids we've had to fight. Piccolo and dad have told us this before," Gohan answered, a little cross with his sister's rude outburst. "I think you need to say sorry to Trunks and to Bulma for making him cry."

Chiri frowned, guilt definitely settling in though she harboured a small resentment now to her older brother for telling her off. "Sorry Trunks for making you cry. I didn't mean to scare you. Sorry Miss Bulma." She obediently apologised.

"Don't worry about it kiddo," Bulma accepted the apology whilst bouncing Trunks in her arms in a bid to calm him down.

"Hey!" Krillin's shout was even louder than Chiri's as he called up to the others, though to Chiri's frustration it did not set Trunks off further! "Bulma says that android is really Dr Gero!"

Quickly Tenshinhan, Piccolo and Trunks rushed to Bulma and the others, Vegeta not too far behind them. The Super Saiyan earlier had made no attempt to save Bulma and Trunks much to Chiri's confusion; hadn't Gohan told her the baby Bulma held was his son?

"Dr Gero? That android was really Dr Gero?!" Vegeta snapped. "What are you saying?!" Naturally the loud, gruff voice set Trunks off, the baby bawling his eyes out much to Chiri's discomfort. She couldn't help but feel poor Trunks was being upset a lot today!

"Vegeta! You know every time you stick your face in front of Trunks you make him cry!" Bulma snapped, a tinge of anger in her voice matching Vegeta's. She tended to Trunks who eventually started to calm down before she continued. "I'm saying I know what I saw! I've seen his picture in some of my papa's academic magazines. He's a pretty famous scientist; they all say he's a jerk but a genius! He probably turned himself into a cyborg so he could live longer."

"Then everything you said was a lie!" Vegeta turned his anger to the lavender-haired boy. "You said Dr Gero had been killed by the androids he'd created and now you say the androids we just fought were different!"

The high emotions flying around unnerved Chiri slightly; she wasn't pleased with all the shouting no matter how many times Piccolo had shouted at her. It always made her feel she was the one being shouted at and she didn't like it. Furthermore the conversation was flying over her head, there was so much new information for her to take in. The old android was actually supposed to be the man who'd created the androids yet he was an android – or rather a cyborg – himself... It didn't add up to her; how could someone turn himself into part-machine? What was all this talk about the androids being different? She'd missed something vital and important. It seemed no one was telling her the important things!

"... History must have changed when I came back to warn you all," The boy spoke out. "Could it have been a side-effect from my visit?"

"Dr Gero spoke of Androids Seventeen and Eighteen," Piccolo responded. "_They're_ probably the androids you were talking about. This time it might be a better idea for you to tell us what they look like: we don't want to be wrong again!"

"Right," The boy nodded. "Seventeen is a young boy with dark hair and a scarf tied around his neck. Eighteen is a girl, a pretty girl, with blonde hair and clothes similar to mine. Both have hooped earrings and cold, vacant eyes... and icy stares."

Chiri gulped at the mention of cold stares though there was a chance she'd misunderstood the meaning of stares for the stairs you walk up! Nevertheless she paid close attention to the adults as they spoke.

"Do they drain energy through their palms like the others?" Piccolo asked, seemingly full of reliably relevant questions.

"What? Drain energy? No," The boy shook his head looking a little amazed by the suggestion, "They don't need to. They have an infinite supply of energy.

"Infinite energy..."Vegeta grumbled to himself. Chiri thought she knew why; from what she knew infinite meant their energy would last forever and ever and ever. She wished she could have the same thing, then she wouldn't have to feel tired after fights with her family and Piccolo! Still the prospect of facing off against an opponent with that ability was highly daunting and she didn't much like her chances!

"Hey, where's Goku?" The boy asked perking up a little.

"He came down with that heart disease you warned him about," Krillin answered. "It just hit him."

"So the timing of his heart disease changed too?" The boy mused worried.

Chiri frowned remembering the pain her father'd been in when fighting against that other android – Android Nineteen. He'd been struggling even before the beginning of the fight, now he was hopefully at home taking his medicine while her mother looked after him. Chiri hoped her mother was doing alright; she was one of the biggest worriers Chiri knew and was aware of how sad she'd be seeing her husband so ill. The thought almost brought a tear to her eye but she feverishly shook it off; this was no time for crying.

"Bulma, Gero must be heading back to his lab to activate the androids," Vegeta's voice snapped Chiri from her thoughts. "Do you know where it is?"

"Hmm..." Bulma pondered. "Last I read he was converting a mountain near North City into a lab though that was a rumour... and that's assuming he hasn't moved since then. I had no idea Dr Gero was connected to the Red Ribbon Army..."

"Alright, we're going to destroy Seventeen and Eighteen before Gero has a chance to return to his lab and activate them." Piccolo ordered.

Vegeta scoffed, "The coward's way out! I want to be the one to destroy those androids with my own hands! The others that we faced today didn't put up much of a fight, they weren't worth my time!"

"N-No!" The lavender-haired boy cried. "Don't underestimate the power of the androids! Piccolo's right, we have to destroy them before they can be activated! If we can't succeed in that then we should wait for Goku to get better before we head into battle!"

"We don't need to wait for Kakarrot!" Vegeta spat. "Can't you see? I've become a Super Saiyan too and as a Saiyan Prince, I am far more powerful than he is! I need help from no one!"

To everyone's surprise the Saiyan Prince bolted off, dashing immediately north and no doubt heading for Dr Gero's lab. Chiri could feel her heart thumping from the small quarrel between the Saiyan and the boy from the future; Vegeta seemed so obstinate and reluctant to work with them which concerned her. She wasn't sure whether she felt safe around him or not, he seemed to shout a lot and was an incredibly powerful warrior.

"Where does he think he's going?!" Tenshinhan grunted irked.

"... There may be some truth in what he said," Piccolo spoke. "He has seemed stronger than Goku ever since he's become a Super Saiyan. He may well be able to pull this off after all."

"No, I'm also a Super Saiyan but I was still no match against the androids," The lavender-haired boy growled. "I'm going after him. He's a fool but I won't let Dad die again!" With that he too charged off in the same direction, pursuing the eager Saiyan. Chiri watched until finally he vanished in the distance, unsure of what her own actions would be. Piccolo seemed certain the best way forward was to destroy the androids before the doctor would wake them up; Chiri guessed this meant they would not have to find out how strong these new androids were. She hadn't stood much of a chance against the two they'd already met today so she felt a lot safer following Piccolo's strategy rather than Vegeta's!

"'Dad'... did he say 'Dad'?" Bulma asked intrigued. "What did he mean by that? Was his father killed by the androids too?"

"There's no need to hide it any longer..." Piccolo expelled a long breath of air before continuing, "... That boy's name is Trunks. He's the boy the baby in your arms grows up to be. He's your son."

Chiri's eyes widened though not as much as Bulma's as she shrieked in realisation and surprise. Chiri couldn't quite figure it out. That tall man with the lavender-hair and sword was actually Trunks but from the future? She'd been told by Gohan and her father that a boy from the future who could become a Super Saiyan had been the one to tell them about the dangers of the androids; it seemed bizarre to her that she knew the man as a baby! It was mind-boggling!

The shock had stunned everyone still left standing, it took a while before any of them could find the words to talk.

"Now that you mention it, there is a resemblance," Krillin spluttered as Bulma closely looked over her son staring at him in disbelief while he babbled. "... That also explains why he can become a Super Saiyan!" Krillin added.

"At least I know you'll look hot when you grow up," Bulma smiled to her son holding him at arm's length away from her. "I was worried – you're such a mean-looking baby!"

"Come and look for Dr Gero's lab with me," Piccolo instructed. "It may be better to destroy the androids first after all."

"Bulma, could you let my father know about all this the next time you see him?" Gohan asked.

"Well I would except my jet plane was totalled," Bulma frowned, "I'm stuck here."

"Gohan, take Bulma home," Piccolo ordered. "This is a fight where we can handle the androids without you... if we're in time."

Chiri grew anxious knowing she was about to be separated from her brother. She didn't feel so comfortable heading off into danger without her father or brother being with her, even if she had also trained with Piccolo. The Namekian didn't seem to care much for her and was quite intimidating at the best of times!


	16. IoC Chapter 16

**AN:** Just a response I wanted to make clear to all of you who are taking the time out of the day to read this because I'm sure it's not just one person thinking the same as M2L. So far the story hasn't really differed that much from the actual Dragonball manga/anime. (btw thank you for how professional and polite you came across in your critique, it was the most welcoming criticism I've had on this site so far and you've restored my faith in people being able to express concerns without trolling or being insensitive!) **T****his story will eventually diverge from the original...** The chapter where events start to differ is chapter 19 - that won't be posted until the 4th March (providing I upload it on time!) It will be a gradual change from there-on and the story will slowly begin to diverge. What direction it's going in, I'm not currently sure! As the events of the story will also be changing, Chiri may not necessarily play a prominant part at first. There will be different fights going on and I feel it would be important to focus on other characters too instead of leaving you all wondering "what happened in this bit? Why do we have to read all about Chiri? That sounded like an awesome fight to have read about!" She is the OC I've chucked in but for now, since she's not doing much fighting-wise, I felt it was necessary to look at the other characters we all know and love. Don't worry, she will start doing something more useful and become more prominant! Just give her some time to adjust to the expectations everyone is putting on her :) She is six after all.

Sorry this message was so long! I just thought it was a valid point and needed to be addressed as I'm certain a few people would be thinking the same thing and growing tired of reading a story you already know the events to! Give it a couple more weeks!

LilDBZbuddy89

* * *

**Chapter 16 – Androids Activated**

The long flight northwards took the four – Chiri included – around an hour before finally Tenshinhan began to recognise some of the layout of the landscape below. It seemed they were closing in on North City. Along the majority of the flight Chiri's mind had been the site of many, many thoughts, so many that most of them went unnoticed. She couldn't help but worry over her father's condition, she prayed he would get better soon and be saved by Trunks' heart virus. The absence of him and now her brother from the group made her feel isolated, uncertain that any of the other warriors would aid her if needed. She knew Piccolo as a ruthless and stern mentor, not a friend. Tenshinhan and Krillin were still fairly new to her and she wasn't sure whether they'd be able to help her judging by the fate Yamcha quickly met earlier on in the day. These androids they'd already fought seemed impossibly strong to her and it was a large relief to know that Piccolo and Vegeta'd been able to overcome them – but to know now there were two more androids about to be awakened by Dr Gero who were supposedly far stronger than a Super Saiyan... It made Chiri's neck hairs stand on end and set an uneasy feeling off in her stomach.

"We're almost there!" Tenshinhan cried over the wind rushing past their ears.

Chiri observed the ground below them, realising just how chilly it was. The ground before them had changed dramatically from the last she'd consciously looked down; large fields of crops and woodlands had been completely eradicated; now below them were dozens of tall, towering mountains, some snow-capped as they whizzed below them. No wonder the air around them felt colder to her, though Chiri didn't mind the cold so much.

"I can see it!" Krillin pointed a little to the left. As the group travelled over the peak of a mountain it became clear to them all; the city of the north lay nestled in a large valley between the mountains, compressed into the gap though not squeezed. The city itself looked very busy from the activity Chiri could see as the group stopped and observed their surroundings. The cold was a little snappier now, she could feel the wind biting at her skin and could see her breath as she exhaled. Perhaps she wasn't as accustomed to the cold as she'd thought, she was certain if she had a longer sleeved shirt on she could stake it out.

Krillin didn't seem to be in the same position as her, clutching his arms as he shivered in the cold breeze.

"Dr Gero's lab is in a cave in the mountains around here, right?" Tenshinhan observed his surroundings quickly growing concerned. "How do we even begin to look for it; there's nothing but mountains here!"

Chiri could understand his frustration, they were surrounded by dozens of mountains as far as the eye could see, seemingly stretching out to the horizon north, east and south of them! It was as if they were looking for a needle in a haystack and then trying to work out which was the needle and which was a pin; no doubt there'd also be many hidden caves and burrows into the mountains, all of which could be a secret lab or just another cave!

"We'll have to split up and search for it," Piccolo instructed. "Give out some sort of signal if you find it."

"What sort of signal did you have in mind?" Krillin asked.

"Raise your ki abruptly, we'll sense it," Piccolo suggested.

Chiri nodded obediently and began to psyche herself up ready to once again search for something that would be near-on impossible to find! They'd done a lot of hard searching and looking around for most of the day, it was beginning to get quite tiring for the young girl.

"T-Tenshinhan, do you have any money for a coat? I wanna buy a jacket!" Krillin shivered as yet another cold gust of wind rushed past the small group of warriors.

"I'm cold to, just ignore it," Tenshinhan grumbled.

"Earthlings are so inconvenient!" Piccolo grimaced with disgust. "Hurry before the androids are activated!"

"Oh, wait!" Krillin gasped with realisation, much to Tenshinhan and Piccolo's annoyance. Chiri felt a little sorry for him but she too was itching to start this insane search so she could help beat these androids before they could be activated and go home! The small monk pulled out the small, familiar sack from his shirt and emptied out its contents. "I figured it'd be a good idea for us to take a senzu bean with us just in case."

"Good call," Tenshinhan nodded in agreement. There were six beans held out in Krillin's hand, Tenshinhan and Piccolo took one each whilst the others were split between Krillin and Chiri. Before they finally separated, Piccolo quickly glared towards Chiri, much to her discomfort.

"Remember not to do anything stupid. If you find the lab or find Dr Gero, raise your ki and we'll come and find you."

"O-Okay," She nodded obediently.

With that the four split off in different directions.

The shrill cry of a bird of prey far off in the distance drew her back from her thoughts. Chiri realised she had walked herself into a small forest of tall pine trees amongst the many rows of mountainous terrain. She hadn't a clue how long she'd been walking for on autopilot or even how long it'd been since she'd left Piccolo and the others. Her two senzu beans were tightly held against her hip by her belt, she made a conscious swipe to feel them and make sure they were still there and secure. Having two beans instead of one put her a little at ease but knowing she'd probably need them was more overbearing. Chiri only hoped she wouldn't have to use them.

The pathway that lay before her soon vanished, overrun with tall grasses which had grown wild without anything to tend to it. Chiri waded through the thicket as best she could, almost swallowed up by the length of the grass she'd forced herself to wander through! Eventually the grass parted and she came upon a large lake surrounded by mountains on all sides expect for the small part she'd just emerged from, leaving the small forest and wild grasses behind. The lake itself wasn't entirely frozen over though Chiri was certain if she were to dip her hands in the water, it would be cold and refreshing to the touch. Feeling a little parched she made her way to the edge of the waters and dipped her face forward and under the surface, immediately reeling back as the freezing waters brought life back to her. She cupped some water into her hands and began to sip, deeming the water to be drinkable due to the clearness of the lake.

Once she was hydrated enough and felt more awake, Chiri wandered along the bank of the lake heading eastwards. She kept one eye on the other's ki signals just in case any of them were to suddenly rise. It was only now she noticed two other large ki signals were flying nearby. No doubt that was Vegeta and that boy Trunks – the one from the future.

Krillin's ki suddenly began to rise. _'He must have found it!'_ Chiri gasped and sprung up into the air, pinpointing Krillin's ki before bolting forwards as fast as she could. Quickly she found him amongst the sea of jagged rocks hovering outside a large peak; Tenshinhan and Piccolo already with him. Indeed there seemed to be a large circular hole in the wall of the rock.

They'd found it!

The large bored hole within the mountainside indeed seemed large enough to be able to fit a laboratory inside of it, or so Chiri thought as she cautiously eyed up the mountain she, Krillin, Piccolo and Tenshinhan floated outside of. Unfortunately Krillin had been too late in locating the lab before Dr Gero; the doctor had been spotted rushing into the borehole and had vanished into the darkness. It would only be a matter of time before his threat became reality.

Piccolo had charged down into the shadowy puncture in the rock, Tenshinhan and Krillin close behind and a slightly timid and anxious Chiri bringing up the rear. She landed on soft feet and cautiously looked around at her rocky, dank surroundings as she approached the others. Krillin and Tenshinhan were trying to bust open what seemed to Chiri to be the largest set of metal doors she'd ever seen! Each strike against them echoed loudly inside the damp cave which unnerved her; she didn't exactly want the androids or the doctor to know they were here!

"This door is pretty tough!" Krillin strained through gritted teeth, unable to make the door budge despite Tenshinhan's more violent and forceful gores.

"I'll blast it down, stand back," Piccolo stepped forward as the two human warriors dispersed, Chiri watching from a little ways back feeling a little shy and not really wanting to stand too close to the door; after all on the other side of it was supposed to be their doom!

Two sets of feet landing behind her caused an involuntary squeak to come out from Chiri's throat, she was immediately embarrassed but nevertheless had to know what or who it was behind her. Eyes drifted and settled upon Vegeta and the bigger Trunks; Chiri wasn't entirely sure whether she was relieved or terrified especially with Vegeta in tow! The man sent chills down her spine from just looking at him. However there was a smile, not a scowl, on the Saiyan's face as he noticed the large doors wedged between the cavern walls before them. "Well, I see you found it."

His words caught the others by surprise, looks of worry coming over the two human's faces though Piccolo's face remained as stoic as ever. The Saiyan marched past Chiri without even glancing at her and stood before the doors, though Piccolo stood his ground unlike the others, his own hand still stretched out towards the doors. His ki began to rise as he prepared to blast open the strong barriers stopping them from bringing Gero's dream to an abrupt end. Chiri brought her arms up to shield herself and braced herself for the sudden explosion of energy that would surely push her clean from her feet.

"You'd better not destroy those androids!" Vegeta barked venomously as the light in Piccolo's palm gathered.

Then the muffled sounds of Android Twenty's voice reached their ears. Chiri wasn't entirely sure what had been said due to her proximity to the door though she'd thought she'd heard him say something along the lines of "Seventeen, stop kidding around and defeat the enemies outside". Judging by the looks of sheer horror on the grown-ups' faces all around her, Chiri was sure her gut instinct wasn't wrong; her stomach lurched and backflipped as the realisation dawned on her, body shivering at the thought as terror engulfed her.

"H-He's activated the androids!" Krillin spluttered.

The news apparently hadn't bothered Vegeta too much, he seemed more eager than ever to meet these monstrous machines. "Out of the way, I'll blast the door down!" He spat jerking his own hand forward, aiming straight for the door.

Panic quickly grabbed the group – including Chiri of course – all she could do was watch helplessly as the strong, fierce and frighteningly violent warrior charged up his own ki, surely sealing their doom along with his.

"No!" Trunks shouted desperately. "We have to get out of here now! We can wait until Goku gets better then-"

"Too late!" Vegeta bellowed as he launched the energy attack clean into the door; the hinges buckled and the doors folded under the immense strain despite how thick they were. They tumbled forwards into the laboratory with a mighty crash which made Chiri flinch, barely able to see into the other side due to the dust and debris the impact had knocked up. The narrowness of the cave sent the dust shooting straight through the group and out into the open air, Chiri stifling the itch in her throat and trying desperately to see despite the dust stinging her eyes. Two figures emerged, then a third. She recognised Twenty as the shorter of the two nearer to them; the taller boy standing beside him had dark hair which fell to his shoulders and a scarf around his neck. Android Seventeen according to the descriptions Trunks had given them earlier. Towards the back of the room, sitting amongst what seemed to be pods and tables and strange machinery Chiri could never name, sat a woman with blonde hair and a denim jacket and skirt. Android Eighteen certainly was pretty but even from her distance Chiri could see the cold, harshness in her eyes.

The androids were indeed activated. This was the end for them. Chiri's heart thumped wildly in her chest, her breathing short and shallow as the terror grabbed her completely. She didn't even notice Twenty was arguing with the two androids and didn't seem to have control over them, nor that the androids didn't seem vaguely interested in fighting the group as Twenty was ordering. She didn't notice Eighteen moving around the room observing the contents of one of the containers much to Twenty's dismay. His loud warnings were heard but the words were not registering in Chiri's mind which seemed to be shutting down of most rational thoughts, plagued by the fear of being killed. She was miles and miles away from the safety of her own home, her father was seriously ill and dying and unable to help her currently, her brother was far away taking Bulma and her baby home. She was all alone as far as she was concerned, even if she was in the company of five other warriors who were all strong in their own right. None of them mattered, not even Piccolo. He'd always been a harsh teacher leaving her to fend for herself when she was in trouble, much to Chiri's dismay. She didn't feel she could trust him to save her if she needed to be saved from the androids before them. They were all going to die against these monsters just as Trunks had said they had in his time.

"Didn't you hear me?! Don't press that switch!"

The sudden shocking scene before her snapped Chiri from her trail of thoughts, breath hitching in her throat almost suffocating her. Twenty had been stolen of all breath and words; Seventeen's hand had pierced through his back and come out of his ribs, no doubt puncturing one lung – if Twenty still had lungs. The sight terrified Chiri to her soul, she wanted to scream and run away in fear of her life but that very fear kept her rooted to the spot, like a deer caught in headlights unable to even process the possibility of moving out of harm's way. Seventeen tugged his hand back through the gaping hole, pulling some wires and parts along with it before he finally lodged his foot into Twenty's neck. The doctor's head shot clean from his mechanical neck and flew straight towards the group, rolling and coming to a halt just short of Krillin. Chiri stared wide-eyed whimpering slightly, eyes fixated on the mechanical head. Then Seventeen's foot slammed straight down on top of it.

It felt as if all time had slowed yet before she realised it, Seventeen was staring directly at her. Chiri desperately tried to avoid his gaze but couldn't move her eyes, it was as if he were hypnotising her to keep looking directly into his cold, seemingly-lifeless eyes. She'd never known such brutality, even from Piccolo. She'd already seen two people be killed before her very eyes today alongside two who'd nearly died – her father included. She was an emotional mess right now, too many emotions were flowing through her small body and she didn't know how to deal with any of it!

Seventeen rose to full height which made Krillin and Tenshinhan jolt with anticipation, Chiri finally finding the drive to move and hurrying behind Tenshinhan's leg, grabbing hold as tightly as possible. The tall three-eyed warrior acknowledged her with a stern but soft hand which he placed on her head, reminiscent of her own father which worked up Chiri further. She burrowed her head closer to his leg and held on tightly to him, cautiously peering at the androids from where she stood. She felt a little safer being so close to a strong warrior but it didn't matter, they were all supposed to die.

"He killed his own creator," Krillin spoke as Seventeen turned his back and wandered over to Eighteen, who was still peering down at the container.

"So what?" Vegeta snorted; it was only now Chiri noticed he seemed rather indifferent to the brutality of the scene that'd just played out before them. "If you don't like someone, you kill them! It's the same as what we Saiyans do. You humans have the strangest inhibitions!" So that's what it was, or Chiri thought she understood what he meant. He was definitely what a Saiyan seemed to be according to her father and Gohan – though when she'd been confused because of her father being a Saiyan yet being nice, her dad would always point out he'd been brought up on Earth and had different honours and values compared to other Saiyans. Chiri hadn't fully comprehended this until today when she'd finally met Vegeta, the other Saiyan still alive. Indeed what her father'd said now made a lot of sense to her and she was relieved he was not a typical Saiyan if what Vegeta said were true.

"Press the switch, let's wake up our sleeping friend," Seventeen muttered coolly.

"No! I won't let there be a third one!" Trunks bellowed frantically transforming into a Super Saiyan much to everyone else's shock. Chiri almost shrieked as Trunks fired off a powerful energy blast directly into the laboratory and straight for the two androids. She felt Tenshinhan's hand grab hold of her arm and rip her from the ground just as the attack struck its target and erupted in a deafening roar and blinding flash of light. Confusion shook Chiri's mind as she let herself be dragged away by the warrior, eventually daring to open her eyes against the terrific gusts of power radiating from the attack. The mountainside now lay in ruins, the top of the mountain completely eroded away from the blast, thick plumes of dust and smoke rising from the impact. Chiri realised she was floating around one-hundred feet in the air, still in Tenshinhan's grasp. Feeling a little embarrassed she'd had to be rescued, she gently tugged her arm, Tenshinhan letting her go. "Th-Thank you," She bowed politely.

"Hey, Trunks! How about a little more warning next time you do that?!" Krillin called slightly irked with the lack of time they'd been given to flee!

"What was that for, idiot?" Vegeta snapped at the lavender-haired boy, who'd dropped his Super Saiyan transformation. "That was nothing but pointless!"

"Pointless?!" Trunks repeated.

Vegeta nudged his head down towards where the lab had once been hidden away. "You've just shown them how weak you really are!"

Chiri glanced down through the smoke, almost losing her concentration of flight when she spotted two figures amongst the thinning dust, one holding something long above their head. Indeed Vegeta's words seemed true, the androids were alive and well and didn't seem affected at all by Trunks' crazy attack! This reinstalled her fear for the monsters; not even a Super Saiyan attack – one she'd deemed highly dangerous and foolish to even comprehend enduring – did nothing to these machines. There was no way on Earth she'd ever be able to stand up to them!

Eighteen dropped the large container to the floor with a dim thud from where the others hovered. In seconds the machine was opened, the process sped up as Eighteen impatiently booted the door from its hinges. A tall, muscular man emerged from the pod. Chiri had no clue who he was and whether he was an android or not. His size alone scared her; as the adults around her muttered amongst themselves she kept her eyes peeled on the tall warrior. His hair was bizarre to her, red and in a Mohawk-style; his clothes were just as strange, a black jumpsuit underneath some strange green-looking armour. The androids stood amongst themselves for a while.

Then to everyone's disbelief the trio took to the skies and flew off!

"... They're leaving? Krillin spluttered. "Thank goodness!"

Chiri couldn't agree more with the warrior. She'd been certain once she'd known the androids had been released that she would meet her end just like all the others. Why that had not come to pass she did not know but she was filled with relief to know she was still alive, she had survived the encounter.

"Where are they going?" Tenshinhan seemed more concerned than Krillin and Chiri.

"They're not going towards North City to attack; it's in the other direction," Piccolo mused.

"I've got it!" Krillin cried loudly, suddenly more panicked. "They've gone after Goku!"

Chiri's head whirled around, heart lurching at the mention of her father's name. This was incredibly bad! Her father was sick and couldn't fight; her mother was also at home! Neither would stand a chance against foes like these! Desperation took hold and she began to wail with urgency, "No! They can't go to see Daddy! He's sick, he can't fight them! We have to go stop them!"

"How'd you know they've gone after Goku?" Tenshinhan asked.

"It was always Dr Gero's goal to punish Goku for destroying the Red Ribbon Army!" Krillin explained.

"But they rebelled against Dr Gero..." Tenshinhan wasn't fully convinced.

"Who cares about where they went?!" Vegeta spat interrupting their conversation. "They ignored me! I, Vegeta, the Saiyan Prince and the strongest Saiyan alive was right here before them! Did they think I wasn't worth their time?" The Saiyan suddenly transformed into a Super Saiyan; Trunks knew exactly what he was about to do and dashed out in front of him, blocking his path.

"You mustn't go after them!" He barked anxious to keep the Saiyan away from battle for as long as possible. "Be patient, please! Just wait a little while longer!"

Chiri watched not choosing to say anything whilst Vegeta and Trunks continued to argue, only moving when Vegeta suddenly threw a punch straight for Trunks' undefended stomach which sent the boy reeling forwards. "Trunks!" She rushed forward worried, slightly relieved Vegeta'd bolted forward chasing after the androids. From what she could tell Trunks seemed to be ok.

"P-Please stop him..." The boy spluttered, winded from the strike and shaking slightly.

"Let us not waste any time, we have to stop the androids from reaching Goku," Piccolo decided.

Once again she'd been roped into doing something she wasn't sure she wanted to do, though at least this time they were heading towards her home. She could see how her father was and let her mother know what was going on and hopefully see her brother once more. Chiri missed his presence terribly, she was barely parted from Gohan's side and had grown too used to him being around for company. Her shyness around new people didn't help her currently though she was sure the others were starting to warm up to her now. Chiri couldn't help but feel like a tagalong just following the others around and not doing much herself, just witnessing the events going on around them. That was all well and fine as far as she was concerned; it kept her out of harm's way and she'd already learnt today that she stood no chance against these androids; trying to fight Twenty had not gone well for her at all. Seventeen and Eighteen were supposed to be superior to the androids they'd already fought. She had no clue just how powerful this other, unknown android was supposed to be. It was all so daunting to her; she was only six years old and had never been in such a dangerous situation!

"Chiri!" Piccolo's harsh tones made the girl jump and she obediently looked to him. "It might be an idea for you to head straight home. From the feel of things Vegeta's started to fight; no doubt he's found the androids. That should at least buy you some time. Get home to your mother and warn her and Yamcha that the androids are coming!"

"B-But..." Chiri started, though she was torn between two minds. She was eager to head home to see her mother though she felt as a fighter she had to be with the others in battle. Sure it was terrifying and she'd spent the past twenty minutes of their flight convincing herself her presence was not necessary and was highly dangerous, but she couldn't pull herself away from the others. She'd been trained to fight the androids and she was going to do it whether it was a good idea or not! "B-But I wanna help-"

"Go!" Piccolo barked stopping the girl in her tracks. She knew better than to push Piccolo. Reluctantly she nodded and diverted from the others as they headed south-east, Chiri now taking a more southern route. This way would take her on a small diversion before she'd wind back around to the east to fly directly towards home but it was a diversion she needed to make. She had to avoid bumping into the androids or Vegeta at all costs and hopefully beat them to her home. From what she could sense, Vegeta was still expelling a lot of ki energy so she could only assume he was battling the androids... Then terrifying thoughts began to torment her. What if he was only fighting one android and the other two were still heading towards her home? What if she ran into the other two? Then what would she do? She was only little and she'd never been in a life or death fight by herself. She would surely be killed and then the androids would find her sick father and then hurt him and then they'd hurt her mother and her grandpa and then Yamcha...

Chiri stopped herself in mid-air, forcing the thought from her mind before the tears could fall down her cheeks; they were already blurring her vision. She couldn't think like this; her father wouldn't like it if he found out she'd been thinking of such sad things, he always told her to look at what he called the 'positives'. Chiri had been confused the first time her father had mentioned the word but hadn't gotten the courage to ask him, instead she'd asked Gohan who told her that 'positives' were the good things or things that made her happy, like getting ice cream or a present. The thought of ice cream on a day like today made Chiri smile and she started eagerly anticipating getting back home to ask her mother if they had any in the fridge!

No, she had to remember what she was being sent home for! Piccolo would be pretty cross with her if she forgot her actual mission: to make sure her father and mother were moved before the androids arrived! With this in mind Chiri focused her thoughts back on flying home as fast as possible, seeing it as some kind of game. That ought to occupy herself, she thought. With a surge of her ki being forced out from behind, Chiri increased her speed and sped through the skies determined not to let them down.

The journey home took her a while but Chiri was over half-way there and felt she was making good time considering she was flying across almost half the continent. Then a change in the atmosphere along with the sudden surge of several ki stopped her in her tracks.

Chiri glanced over her shoulder nervously and paying close attention to these spiked ki levels. Everything around her seemed to be going haywire; the ki surged and then several of them plummeted. A couple still remained strong; both had that bizarre feel to them. It could only mean one thing.

Piccolo and the others were fighting the androids – and they were losing to the mechanical fighters.

Chiri bit her lip anxiously, not sure whether to continue heading home or to turn back around and help the others. She was scared for her mother and father but she was also scared for Piccolo, Tenshinhan and Krillin. Trunks and Vegeta seemed to be the two that weren't suffering so much but Vegeta's ki had been falling at a steady pace up until a moment ago where it'd dramatically fallen. Chiri didn't know what was going on and her sense of curiosity was getting the better of her. She couldn't leave her dad's friends to die, could she? They were all supposed to be killed by these androids in Trunks' future and she couldn't allow that to happen! On the other hand she was petrified of these androids. She was a little girl, she was only six years old. Was it right for her to charge in and attack these monsters or would the others excuse her because she found them scary?

'_No...'_ Chiri frowned ashamed. Piccolo would never talk to her ever again or want anything to do with her. Gohan would be disappointed but try to make it sound as if it wasn't her fault. She didn't want to think of how her father would act. He'd be disappointed in her for running, she just knew it! He'd rather she went off to save his friends rather than find him... wouldn't he?

Another fall in Vegeta's ki stole her from her thoughts, body trembling with a mixture of fear and anxiety. She had to turn back and go help, she knew her father would do the same thing if in her shoes.

With that Chiri took a deep breath and told herself to be brave before launching herself back in the opposite direction. She had to help the others even if Piccolo ended up shouting at her!


	17. IoC Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 – The Game**

The wind rushed past her with a steady roar as Chiri pelted herself through the skies as fast as she could, determined to find the others alive. She had turned away from home and was heading back in a north-east direction, determined to reach her father's friends before they were too badly hurt or worse! Gohan was still somewhere dropping Bulma off home, so surely it would be ok for her to leave moving their father up to him whilst she tried to save the others? Chiri's mind was a mess with too many thoughts for a young child to make sense of. How did she plan to rescue the others when the others were all stronger than her and losing to the androids? What did she plan to do once she got there? What if the androids were still there and wanted to fight her too? Her mother would be pretty furious with her and would no doubt punish Chiri for doing something so dangerous but right now she had to risk it. She'd have to suffer her mother's wrath to please her father and brother!

It took nearly ten minutes for Chiri to race across the land as fast as she could and when she finally arrived, she was greeted by a grim sight and hindered by a crippling stitch in her abdomen. There were a few bodies scattered down below the side of a mountain which had a road running along one of the lower shelves. Part of the road had been completely destroyed and had either fallen away in a landslide or had been recently removed as a by-product of the battle which had clearly taken place. Down below lying amongst a collection of broken and cracked boulders were Vegeta, Trunks, Piccolo and Tenshinhan. Vegeta'd taken the most damage; his arms looked bizarrely out of place. Chiri didn't have to get close up to know they were both broken; she couldn't help but look but it struck her with terror to see them that way, a lump threatening to launch itself up her throat.

Up on the roadside overlooking those fallen warriors stood three – no - four figures. Chiri's heart tried to leapfrog out of her mouth and got stuck in her throat almost making her choke and fall from the sky. Three of the four were the androids. The other was Krillin. It looked to her like he was the last fighter left standing and was not a happy fighter at that! Panic gripped the young girl but she defiantly held her head as best she could. One of the androids – the girl – was approaching Krillin.

Chiri acted completely on instinct, not even aware of her actions until it was too late. In that split second where she'd lost conscious control, she drew back both her hands above her head and fired off a ki blast from her palms, the blast aiming straight for Eighteen! Krillin seemed to spot the blast coming straight off and backed off. Either the android female had taken this as a sign of fear or she did not fear the oncoming attack, Chiri did not know. Her attack hit its target and erupted with a terrific bang, engulfing the immediate area with a blinding flash of light and thick dust and smoke.

The attack had not gone unnoticed. Android Seventeen glanced over his shoulder; it was this point where Chiri realised what she'd done and felt her body freeze with terror. She couldn't move under his glance, even when he'd turned away she found herself paralysed to the spot she hovered in. Her body trembled but did not listen to her screams inside her mind to run away and get away from the dangerous people.

The smoke was clearing and it quickly became apparent that Android Eighteen had received no damage from her attack. Furthermore she too was glancing back over her shoulder, cold eyes piercing Chiri like a dagger.

"Chiri, get away!" Krillin bellowed up to the child but his cry fell on deaf ears, or rather Chiri couldn't move. She began to whimper as Seventeen turned on his heels and smiled.

"Hey Eighteen, one moment. It looks like we missed one." He smiled.

Seventeen's movement was slow and graceful as he gently pushed himself off the ground heading at a reasonable pace up towards Chiri. The petrified girl couldn't move; all her body did was shake under the terrifying pressure she was now getting from the android approaching her. This was the android that killed Dr Gero, this was the android who'd kicked the head off of the doctor, pierced his chest with his hand and then crushed his head under his foot. The memory repeated rapidly in her mind, she didn't even register the moment Seventeen stopped a couple of feet from her, an amused smile on his face as he observed the sheer terror in her eyes.

"Hey kid, we're kinda busy here. I think you should scoot off before you get into trouble," He mused. When he did not get a response from her he chuckled. "Hey kid, wake up. This is your wake-up call."

"Leave her alone!" Krillin went to charge the android but Eighteen stood and blocked his way. Her presence alone was enough to stop Krillin from rushing forward.

"My database tells me that little brat might be Son Goku's daughter," Eighteen mused taking a small glance over her shoulder. "Too bad, she's probably weaker than her father. Maybe she knows where he is? Seventeen, you should ask her."

"Nah, it'll be much more fun to find him ourselves," Seventeen answered from up above, attention turning back to Chiri, amused by her statue-like state. "Still won't move? Guess I should just let you rest then if you're that sleepy."

Chiri's world blurred before it completely blacked out. Seventeen had drawn one hand back and violently struck her in the side of the head, sending her bolting straight into the side of the mountain. Chiri vanished amongst the large fractured boulders, buried by the pile of disrupted rock.

"C-Chiri!" Krillin cried alarmed. He could still sense her ki but she'd taken a damaging blow to the head so anything bad could still happen to her. She could get a concussion or worse!

Seventeen seemed a little disappointed with the lack of fight the girl showed and descended back to the roadside wandering back over to the tall Android Sixteen, who'd taken an interest in the birds flying up ahead. Seventeen ignored the mechanical man and instead focused his attention on the shaking warrior standing before them. "Don't worry. They're all still alive." He smiled referring to the others down below the cliff drop. "Still you'd better feed them a senzu bean. They heal them completely, right?" The confused look on Krillin's face made him smile. "Tell them we'll be happy to play with them any time they feel like challenging us again."

The first thing Chiri became aware of was the sunlight warming her face. Then she noticed she could feel every part of her body filled with warmth. Suddenly all her aches and pains had magically vanished leaving her feeling refreshed and full! She could see shadows leaning over her and slowly blinked, almost blinded by the sun above... Or was it the reflection off of Krillin's bald head? Chiri wasn't entirely sure so she sat up in an attempt to get out from the glare. It had been the latter. The thought brought a smirk to her face as she tried to stifle her laughter.

"Good, glad to see you're ok," Krillin responded with a smile, paying little mind to the small snort that escaped the girl's mouth. "Listen, we've gotta get a move on and go collect your father. Trunks is coming along with us."

Chiri nodded without asking any questions, looking around at the landscape around them. There were many boulders surrounding her rising upwards from behind her; in front was a small platform where the cliff once again dropped off down a steep slope to the grassy banks below. She could just about make out the tarmac and paint of the road which had once been where they now stood...

The androids!

"K-Krillin!" Chiri spluttered loudly, panicked and fearful. "What happened to those android people?! Did you beat them?"

"Uh... No, not exactly," Krillin responded sheepishly scratching his cheek, a light blush coming to his face as he recalled the last moment the androids had been with him before they'd vanished. Never had he expected the cute blonde girl to approach him and kiss him on the cheek: he'd been convinced she was about to do to him what she'd done to Vegeta and the others! Her lips had felt so soft as they'd brushed against his skin, even now the part of his cheek she'd made contact with tingled.

Trunks approached the bald fighter and young child, his broken sword had been placed back into its sheath and he walked with a look of disappointment on his face. His sword had been shattered during the fight with nothing other than Eighteen's arm when she'd blocked his attack. There was no reason that fully explained why these androids where so much stronger than the ones from his own time. It didn't make any sense to him; perhaps it was to do with the appearance of the other three he had not recognised? No, why would it be? His blue eyes fell upon the two before him; Chiri now rising to her feet and dusting herself off diligently. This universe's Chiri was a lot different from the one he'd known back home: she was a lot more courteous and innocent unlike the tormented wreck of a warrior his timeline had produced...

"Ready?" Krillin asked the lavender haired fighter, who responded with a nod. Krillin then turned to Chiri and nodded towards her, "Let's go and get your father before the androids do."

With that the three fighters took to the skies and headed off directly towards Chiri's home.

It quickly dawned on the little girl they were missing three people: Vegeta, Piccolo, and Tenshinhan. "Um... Mr Krillin sir, where are Piccolo and the others?"

"Piccolo's gone off to a place far away from here called Kami's Lookout – I don't know if he or your dad or Gohan ever mentioned it to you?" The shake of her head answered Krillin's question. "It's where the current creator of our Dragonballs lives; his name is Kami. Anyway, Piccolo's gone there to try to become stronger. Vegeta flew off somewhere just after we fed him a senzu bean. I'm sure he'll be around again soon. Tenshinhan went off to find his friend Chaozu. It's just you, me and Trunks."

"Oh..." Chiri went quiet after this. It was down to a mixture of shyness and being content to roam inside her own mind, almost switching herself onto autopilot as they were heading back to where she lived. She was anxious to make sure her father came to no harm before she and the others arrived and was eager to see him to make sure he was getting better. She would not dare tell her mother of the dangerous things she'd done during the day: it would frighten her mother but probably also make her scold Chiri. Chiri did not enjoy being told off or yelled at by anyone so she would keep it to herself.

"I just hope we can get to Goku before those androids find him," Krillin's musings interrupted her trail of thoughts and Chiri paid close attention to the monk's mutterings. "I don't wanna think how we'd deal with these guys without him... Hey Trunks, just how evil are these androids anyway? Is it possible they won't destroy the planet like the ones in your future did?"

"What are you talking about?" Trunks asked matter-of-factly. "They're monsters, Krillin. They delight in tormenting the humans that are left and have almost spent the past sixteen years of my time slowly whittling down our numbers. They seek nothing but to destroy and kill... Why?"

"N-No reason..." Krillin responded quietly. "I guess it's just me and my wishful thinking..." Still that kiss... was that really from a monster who desired nothing more but to slowly destroy humanity? He wasn't entirely convinced: the androids hadn't killed him and his friends and instead left them to fight another day, eager to be challenged once again whenever the time suited their opponents. It didn't quite add up to him.

"I hope Daddy's ok..." Chiri frowned. If only there was some other way to make him better and to help cure him of his illness...

Of course!

Chiri glanced over to Krillin, "Um, sorry to ask again Mr Krillin but where does Mrs Bulma live?" The confused looks on Krillin's and Trunks' faces urged Chiri to explain herself a little more. "I wanna look for those Dragonball thingies and Daddy and Gohan told me Mrs Bulma has the radar that finds them! I wanna use them to make Daddy better again!"

Krillin chuckled before a sad smile emerged on his face, "It's a sweet idea Chiri but there's no point in gathering the Dragonballs. In a moment or so they won't exist anymore. When Piccolo and Kami return to one being, the Dragonballs will be gone."

Chiri's jaw dropped with horror, "N-No!" She gasped. "No we have to stop Mr Piccolo from doing that! I need to get the Dragonballs to make Daddy better!"

"Chiri - Chiri wait!" Krillin cried out as Chiri panicked and changed course, heading directly west instead of south! "Chiri it's ok!" Krillin dashed after her, Trunks having no choice but to follow unsure of what to expect but not entirely sure where Goku's house was!

"No! Mr Piccolo can't do it!" Chiri wailed working herself up and trying to fly as fast as she could, determined to stop the two Namekians from joining again. Krillin quickly caught up to the girl and grabbed her by the wrist, impressed with Chiri's strength as she struggled to break free baffled as to why he'd even stopped her in the first place!

"Calm down Chiri, it's ok. We don't need the Dragonballs to make your dad better," Krillin explained through the jerking about. "The medicine Trunks gave him will have him all healed in no time!"

Chiri stopped struggling as the cogs began to turn in her head, sniffling a little because of the emotion that had worked up inside her during her panic. "... So Daddy will be ok without the Dragonballs?" She hiccupped.

"Yep," Krillin nodded with a smile.

Chiri now felt her cheeks reddening as the trio continued their journey towards her home. How could she have lost her mind in panic like that, of course her dad would be ok! That medicine was supposed to cure him just like Gohan had told her. Her brother stayed on her mind a little more as they crossed what was now becoming familiar territory to her, not that she knew it right now because of how absorbed in her own thoughts she was! Had her brother returned home yet? Would he be waiting for them upon their arrival? ... No, Chiri could sense he was heading in their direction but was still far, far off, coming towards them from the west.

"We're not too far from Goku's home now," Krillin called over the howling wind. He'd almost expected Chiri to become more animated and dash ahead of them surely eager to see her parents... yet she didn't react at all! "... Chiri?"

Not even calling her earned a response. Chiri was far too concerned with the bizarre sensation in her stomach. Something relatively close to where Gohan was flying from was happening, something bad. She didn't know what it was but it made her stomach feel like led pulling her from the skies, or at least trying to! Her heart beat faster and faster as a cold sweat came over her, eyes fixated on no particular spot to their right, just off in the direction she was sure it was coming from.

"CHIRI!"

This time Krillin got the response he'd been looking for as Chiri almost leapt out of her skin! She turned to him petrified, then the realisation he'd found her reaction funny made the blood in her body boil with anger. "Don't do that!" She shouted cheeks reddening as both Krillin and Trunks laughed a little. She hated being laughed at! Why did she have to have reactions like a cat?

"Sorry kid, I couldn't resist!" Krillin chuckled.

The three quickly came upon Mount Paozu and as expected, Chiri grew anxious to get home as fast as possible. Instructing the two as to where her house precisely lay, she led them down through a small clearing in the woods and walked them up the path until eventually they came across her home. The small but cosy house stood firmly on the bank of a river just outside the cutting of the forest. Chiri felt all warm inside finally knowing she was home again although the feeling was short-lived. Her father and mother were both in danger if they stayed here for much longer.

"Mother!" Chiri called as she politely knocked on the door, louder than intended. The sound of thumping footsteps made Chiri instinctively step back behind Krillin. Almost immediately Chichi burst through the other side of the door slamming it straight into Krillin's face!

"Chiri! My baby!" Chichi seemed indifferent to Krillin who was now clasping his face and hissing under his breath! She rushed up to her daughter and swept her off her feet, kissing her on the cheek and holding her tightly. "Are you ok sweetie? Did you get hurt? Where's your brother?"

"Gohan's not back yet?" Chiri frowned worried by the news. So it had been true then. That strange feeling she'd had before returned a little even when she was placed back on her feet. She stared off into the west once more whilst Krillin introduced Trunks to the woman before them, Yamcha poking his head around the door. Chiri stood staring into the west, eyes so transfixed and piercing they could have set the trees on fire! Gohan was fast approaching them but that bizarre feeling was still there. Her stomach lurched and backflipped before it felt as if it froze over. It was an uncomfortable feeling that made her feel on edge and want to stay clear from that area...

"Chiri, come and give us a hand with moving your dad," Krillin tore her from her thoughts. Obediently Chiri followed the short warrior into her home and through the passageway into her parent's room. She seldom visited this room apart from on birthdays where she'd be so eager to wake her parents up so they could start celebrating! There in the corner of the room, the spare futon mat had been rolled out. Upon it lay her ill father, breathing still laboured as he slept. Chiri's heart stopped as it dawned on her just how ill he looked, a cold sweat running down his face which in itself looked flushed, his ki flickering wildly every-so-often. He was not the figure of health he always had looked to her, now he seemed vulnerable and fragile. Chiri'd never ever seen any of her family looking so ill, not even her mother who seemed to get the odd cold once in a while. It frightened her to see a man so strong and powerful yet so generous and protective in such a state. Her father was dying.

The tears couldn't be stopped no matter how much Chiri tried to be strong. She couldn't help it, not even flinching and closing her eyes or turning away stopped them. She stifled a choke and quickly rushed from the room, "Imma go check Gohan's here!" She wailed running down the hallway and back out into the front garden – or what she would call the front garden. She'd sped past Yamcha on the way, who'd just gotten his jetflyer out of its capsule case; the large yellow craft looked as if it could carry a small village of people inside of it from what Chiri could tell! She hurriedly wiped her moist eyes determined to make sure no one had seen her.

Trunks, Krillin and Yamcha soon appeared out the doorway carrying Goku up the ramp and into the craft; Trunks at the front carrying the futon and covers. Chiri hurriedly dashed past the two men carrying her dad and helped Trunks to sort out the futon, watching as her father was laid down upon the mattress and the covers were pulled over him. At least he seemed to be more peaceful than before though Chiri wished he wasn't ill at all.

"So you say they're even more powerful than Trunks told us?" Chichi asked bringing up the rear, carrying a large pile of bags and supplies. Chiri took them from her mother and piled them up in the corner of the plane before quietly settling herself down upon the corner of her father's futon.

"Powerful doesn't even begin to describe them," Krillin replied glumly. "Gohan really needs to get here fast if we're gonna make a clean getaway!"

"Where is Gohan anyway?" Chichi queried a little afraid of the answer.

"He took Bulma home, he should be on his way back," Krillin answered.

It was at this point Chiri grew restless. She'd taken to sitting on the edge of her father's futon but the tense conversation had her itching to get up and check every five seconds to see if Gohan was here or not! She craned her head around the opening at the back of the craft, relieved to see a shining dot appear on the horizon coming in from the west. "Gohan's here!" She cried dashing out of the plane and flagging her older brother down.

Gohan seemed a little confused as he touched down on the grass, astonished to see his family and friends in the plane alongside his ill father. "What's going on?" He asked nervously. "Did something bad happen?"

"Save it for the flight, we've gotta get out of here," Krillin ushered him into the plane.

The journey to Master Roshi's island was tense. As the plane crept away from her home, Chiri paid as much attention to the adults' conversation as she could. Krillin informed Gohan, Yamcha and Chichi about the battle against Androids Nineteen and Twenty, then the revelation of Android Twenty and Dr Gero being one and the same, then the awakening of the three androids Seventeen, Eighteen and Sixteen, and the gang's subsequent defeat. Everyone seemed to be stumped about what to do next, every plan seemed to have its drawbacks. Piccolo was trying to return to his original self by reuniting with Kami; what was everyone else supposed to do? Chiri found herself unable to contribute at all to the conversation unless she was adding in some information she already knew. Her eyes often fell on her father as he lay in the centre of the group resting, still recovering from his heart virus. She hated how powerless she felt in not being able to do anything about it. This entire situation was beyond her; she felt like she was stuck in the sea and had no choice but to be pulled away by the current.

"Hold on a second..." Krillin's voice pulled Chiri out of her morbid thoughts. "If Goku defeats the androids in this timeline, wouldn't the ones from your time still exist?"

What had she missed? Chiri concentrated once again on the conversation being held.

"That's right," Trunks responded.

"Then what was the point of travelling back into the past?" Yamcha asked baffled.

"Mother said that what happened in our timeline was awful," Trunks explained. "She said there deserved to be a future where the world isn't terrorised by these androids and where they've been destroyed. I was sent back to see if I could find any of their weaknesses by watching Goku fight them and if that didn't work, the plan was to bring Goku back to our timeline with the time machine... Only I've come to a past that's slightly different from the one I knew. Goku's illness timing was off... and there were different androids to the ones I knew, plus the ones I did know are far stronger in this time!"

"... Why _are_ they stronger...?" Gohan frowned.

"I don't know..." Trunks contemplated biting the tip of his thumb. "I don't understand what could have changed... unless it was my coming back to the past?"

"Don't worry too much about it," Chichi smiled cheerfully, not seeming to share the same baffling concerns as the others around them. "If it wasn't for you, my husband would have died so for that I'm grateful! Things will work out, you'll see."

Chiri couldn't help but smile a little at her mother's optimism. It was quite refreshing to hear her say something positive about a situation. She was relieved that this Trunks had come to save her dad...

"We'll be at Master Roshi's house soon," Yamcha spoke as the craft slowly crossed over the coastline. "Hey Krillin, maybe you ought to tell Bulma what's happened?" He added relieved that he was far too busy concentrating on flying to have to speak to the blue-haired woman! He wasn't the only one dreading having to make contact with Bulma again to give her an update!

"I guess..." Krillin reluctantly got to his feet. "Why do I have to do it? No offence Trunks but your mum bites people's heads off!"

"She's the same in my time," Trunks chuckled.

Chiri's eyes widened at the thought of Bulma literally biting her family and friends' heads off and grew a little worried. She watched as Krillin sat himself in the passenger seat and dialled a number up on the mobile speaker built into the craft. Almost immediately he received an answer and requested to be put through to Bulma. Her response was loud!

"_KRILLIN! SO YOU FINALLY DECIDED TO CALL!"_ Bulma's voice blurted out of the speaker, Krillin flinching away from it as if he feared for his life! _"Where are you all? I tried calling Goku's house but no one's picking up!"_

"We're in the air ship taking Goku over to Master Roshi's," Krillin replied. "It's a long story."

"_Yeah? Hey is my future son there? Can you put him on, I need to talk to him,"_ Bulma quickly changed the subject.

"He's here. You're on speaker-phone, he can hear you," Krillin answered.

"_Great!"_ Bulma's voice responded."_A couple of days ago our company got a call from a farmer living out in the west. He said he'd gone hiking and came across an abandoned, weird looking vehicle. He was going to take it home but couldn't work out how to use it so he called us up for help. Only thing was we couldn't figure out what model it was over the phone. I said it wasn't one of ours but he said it had the Capsule Corp logo on it! I asked him to fax us a copy and it's just arrived today. I was floored when I saw it! It looks exactly like Trunks' time machine and it's wrecked!"_


	18. IoC Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 – The Monster from Ginger Town**

"What?" Trunks stuttered flabbergasted, reaching into his jacket pocket and taking out what Chiri could only assume was a capsule case. His time machine had been discovered completely wrecked and abandoned? That was impossible! "... That can't be right. I have it in capsule form right here!" He exclaimed baffled.

'_How can Trunks have it on him and at the same time not have it on him?' _Chiri was stumped. "... Didn't you say Mrs Bulma only made one?" She asked.

"Yeah, Mother only managed to make one," Trunks confirmed.

"_Huh... that's what I assumed." _Bulma spoke. _"I thought it was weird because moss and stuff is growing off the one in this picture! If I only managed to make one in your future then I'm not sure what could be going on... Strange because this is exactly the same thing! I saw you go back to the future when you defeated Freeza and King Cold! Hey, do you have a fax machine with you? I could send you the picture for you to look at."_

Chiri rose from her seat on the end of her father's bed and wandered over to where her brother sat, a little eager to see the picture for herself. Come to think of it, she didn't even know what Trunks' time machine was supposed to look like! The fax machine buzzed into life as a small slip of paper slowly came through it, Chiri amazed at what she was seeing. She'd never seen anything like it; a piece of paper with writing on or a picture appearing out of the dashboard of a plane! Technology blew her mind! Little did she know how dated that little piece of technology was!

Krillin handed the piece of paper over to Trunks who studied it with interest. Chiri couldn't resist trying to take a peek over Trunks shoulder but the quiet hiss from her mother kept her rooted to the floor.

"... There's no mistaking it," Trunks finally spoke, "This is my time machine... but I don't understand how this could have happened... Do you know where it's located exactly?"

"Bulma, do you know where this thing is located?" Krillin relayed down the mouthpiece.

"_Not it's exact location but the picture was sent from somewhere in West District ten-fifty."_ Bulma responded. _"... Are you planning to go there?"_

"Yes, I have to see this with my own eyes," Trunks confirmed.

"He's going," Krillin said repeating Trunks' words.

"_Alright, I'll see you there."_ With that Bulma hung up.

The news had left an eerie silence inside the flying craft, everyone left to their own thoughts and attempts to absorb the devastating news. Two time machines? How was that possible if the Bulma from Trunks' own timeline was barely able to make one? It left an uneasy feeling within many of their hearts.

"... You're sure there was only one time machine?" Yamcha asked uncertain, frowning when Trunks gave him a nod.

"Hey Trunks, maybe I could help," Gohan spoke out, looking up from the book he'd been made to read. "Could I come with you?"

Chiri's head snapped around as she stared at her brother with worry, her expression mimicking her mother's! "Gohan! What are you saying?!" Chichi barked horrified.

"It's alright mother," Gohan smiled in a bid to reassure her. "We're not going anywhere dangerous." After all, it was just an abandoned time machine they were going to explore and Trunks was the best person to have on the job! Gohan also felt he hadn't done much to assist over the past day as fighting went, plus this would take his mind off of worrying about his father's progress.

"... Can I go too Gohan?" Chiri asked reluctantly. This place still sounded a little scary to her but she was sure if she stayed close to her brother, things would be fine.

"Chiri!" Chichi snapped rising fully to her feet. "No, I'm not having both of you run off like this! I am still here you know; you do need to ask my permission before you go running off!"

"B-But mother," Chiri stammered, "Gohan said it wasn't a dangerous place and you're letting him go!"

"No, no, no! Gohan can go because he's a little older than you are Chiri: you're too young!" Chichi responded strictly.

"Gohan went to that planet full of Piccolos when he was younger than me!" Chiri protested. She wouldn't normally argue back with her mother like this but this was something she was sure she had to do. She didn't want to do nothing and be left on the sidelines.

"Actually Chiri..." Gohan interrupted looking a little guilty. Chiri knew that look; it was the look he'd give her when he was about to let her down or side with their mother! "... I think it may be better if you stay with Mother and Father. Someone's gotta defend Dad while he's sick in case the androids return so it'd be bad if neither of us were there to look after him. I think you should probably stay."

Chiri pouted and turned away grumpily folding her arms. She hated when her brother didn't side with her! How could he do this to her? She wanted to go see the big time machine! It wasn't that she didn't care about her dad's recovery, she just wanted to explore something she may never get to see again! Begrudgingly she sat herself back onto the end of her father's bed and didn't utter another word, not even to say goodbye when Gohan and Trunks left.

The ship soon landed at the small island situated in the middle of a large ocean. Chiri gazed out the large back door of the craft at the small shack before them nestled on the sandy banks of the tiny island they'd landed on. She was certain she remembered being here as a little baby but wasn't entirely sure if it was a memory or a dream!

"Chiri, come and help with some of the supplies," Chichi called.

There were loads and loads of bags and parcels their mother had feverishly packed; Chiri was a little disappointed to see all hers and her brother's study books had been taken along for the journey. At least she knew she'd have something to do if things got too dull for her, though work wasn't the first thing she'd have suggested! Chiri scurried back and forth between the craft and the door to the house handing the bags to her mother whilst Yamcha, Trunks and Krillin sorted out her father, setting him up in the bedroom on the first floor. A fan was settled in the corner of the room and the windows opened ajar to help ventilate the casualty.

There it was. Chiri found herself unable to move forgetting what her mother had asked her to do with the items of clothing in her hands. She stood between two steps on the stairs concentrating as hard as she could on the bizarre power. Something wasn't right and it left her feeling uneasy. There was something terrifyingly powerful lurking around somewhere, she just knew it!

"Chiri!" Chichi barked at her daughter from the top of the stairs making her daughter jolt out of her skin. Chiri hurriedly carried the pile into the room her mother had settled down in, her father sleeping peacefully to one side. On closer inspection Chiri noticed a slight strain on her father's brow. Perhaps he could sense it too? She kept one eye on her dad and placed the clothes onto the floor beside her mother, helping her to fold them systematically and pile them once more without a word between the two. More than once the girl's eyes flickered up to her mother's only to hurriedly turn away, seeing the strain and worry across her mother's face as her husband lay critically ill behind them. Finally when the clothes were done she rose to her feet, Chiri doing the same barely making it to her mother's waist.

"Well I'd say we've settled in quite nicely," Chichi sighed with a smile, "Chiri, could you find me a small tub and fill it with water? I'll also need a towel or a flannel."

"Ok," Chiri nodded and scooted into the hallway, realising the two rooms upstairs were both bedrooms, one clearly still in use. Hurriedly she bounded down the stairs and ran into the company of the others; Yamcha, Master Roshi, Oolong and Krillin all turned to see the young girl appear. Chiri headed over to the one fighter she felt she could talk to, "Krillin, do you have a tub and a flannel and a towel?" She asked hopping on the spot energetically.

"Sure, they're in the bathroom," Krillin nodded rushing over into a room opposite the stairs beyond the lower table and television, which was on. Adjacent to the room she was currently in was the kitchen, which seemed to be full of pots and pans sitting in the sink soaking away. Chiri could smell the faint scent of tea brewing and wrinkled her nose at the memory of the time she'd tasted tea. It was revolting to her!

Krillin soon returned with a tub filled halfway with water, with a towel on his shoulder. "I'll take it up," He smiled before Chiri could even raise her arms to receive the bowl, the short monk passing her and taking steady steps up to the room above. Chiri watched until he disappeared around the corner in the middle of the stairs.

"He'll be ok," Yamcha's voice almost startled her, Chiri glancing up at the tall ex-bandit. "He's Goku, he'll survive."

Yamcha's smile seemed confident and genuine and filled Chiri with a little more hope that her dad would indeed live. With that in mind she settled herself down on one of the cushions beside Oolong before the lower table and rested her arms on the cool surface as Yamcha scrambled around for the remote changing the channel. Master Roshi began to stroke his beard as if thinking over something but Chiri didn't pay too much attention to what everyone around her was doing. She couldn't ignore that strange power she had been sensing before. It was a bizarre feeling as if she recognised it but didn't at the same time; so familiar and yet so new...

The phone suddenly rang as Krillin returned from upstairs; being closest to it he was the one to answer it, picking up the receiver. "...Yeah this is Krillin... What? Gohan and Trunks?" – Chiri's head whirled around to face him as her brother's name was mentioned – "No, they're not back yet."

Chiri leaned forward to get a better glimpse of Krillin, not that it really mattered because it didn't change how well she could hear him! What did the other person on the phone want with her brother? She'd almost forgotten he wasn't with them right now; his ki signal suggested he was travelling towards her from a south-south-west direction and he wasn't too far away.

"Did something happen?" Krillin's questions were driving Chiri insane! The monk turned towards the others catching Yamcha's eye in particular as he held the remote, "Let's see, Channel eight-seven-two."

Yamcha seemed to understand what Krillin meant and changed the channel, Chiri keeping one eye on Krillin and the other on the television. Both eyes shot to the television as a news report appeared showing the most bizarre thing she'd ever seen! A news reporter was standing in a city; the road and street behind him literally coated in clothes which lay strewn about.

"_... Yesterday fifteen-thousand people lived in Ginger Town, today there are none but the camera crew and I." _(At which point Yamcha repeated "fifteen-thousand people" in shock)_ "What's more another disturbing discovery has been made: all we find are empty pieces of clothing. It's as if all the residents just melted away!" _The screen closed in on a particular set of clothes, a rifle laying next to it. _"The picture you see before you shows a rifle lying nearby as if to suggest there was a struggle here..."_

"This is bad," Master Roshi growled.

"It's them, it's the androids! They've struck at last!" Krillin clenched one fist gripping the phone tightly with the other. The response from whoever was on the phone – Chiri still didn't know who it could be – made Krillin's fury almost melt away momentarily as surprise etched across his face before a wave of solemn and concentration took hold. "...Meaning this has something to do with the time machine?"

The sound of footsteps did not deter anyone from their gaze upon the television, not even when Chichi emerged saying "Goku's resting peacefully now and is looking a lot better." The woman noticed the pensive looks on everyone else's faces as they stared intensely at the television. She could have sworn if they'd really tried all of them could have made it catch fire or something just by their staring! Curious as to the serious feel in the room she too glanced at the television, surprised and horrified at what she saw.

Chiri didn't register her mother's presence. She didn't even register her brother and Trunks had returned, not even when Gohan called from the other side of the door and announced their return. Both he and Trunks were left just as perplexed as Chichi as everyone seemed to ignore them – until at last Krillin turned to the two fighters. "You two'd better listen to this! Tell us what's going on!"

Chiri felt her heart lurch as the feeling suddenly grew stronger, the power so large and terrifying she couldn't even let the others know what was going on. Almost synchronising with her feeling, there were screams and shots heard in the distance on the television, the reporter commenting on them excitedly. One look to his camera crew and the light left his eyes, a look of sheer horror on his face before the television suddenly went on the fritz. Krillin hurriedly changed the channel; this time they were given a jaunty angle of the ground; the camera upside down and at an angle. There were distant cries for help as nothing but clothes drifted across the screen carried by the wind.

Her heart was threatening to burst, that horrifying feeling now far stronger than ever before. She had to confront this, she had to find out what is was! Her mind was screaming out for answers; what was it about this thing which felt so familiar to her? Without another word, Chiri rose to her feet and made her way to the door. Naturally this did not go unnoticed by anyone, especially her mother.

"Chiri, where are you going?" Chichi hurriedly demanded already on edge because of the horrifying scenes they'd all just witnessed.

Chiri had to think fast, something which thankfully she was good at. "I'm gonna see Piccolo," She answered.

"See Piccolo? Why?" Gohan asked perking up a little, though her lie did not go unnoticed by him. He knew her better than their mother seemed to.

"I wanna see Piccolo," Chiri repeated.

"Wait here," Master Roshi put a hand on the girl's shoulder. Although on the surface it seemed a light suggestion, Chiri could sense deep down the man was ordering her, not suggesting she heed his words. Along with the looks she was being given by her mother, brother and the others, she reluctantly conceded defeat and nodded, sitting herself back down. Judging by their faces, she hadn't been the only one to sense that power coinciding with all of those deaths.

Trunks and Gohan then quickly proceeded to telling the group all about the discovery they had made with Bulma – it had been her who'd called Krillin just minutes ago. All through the story, Chiri found herself torn between listening to what the boys had to say and wanting to see this monster for herself. She was intrigued by it in a strange way which surprised even herself. The androids had struck such fear into her because she could not sense them and they were determined to destroy her father. This new monster seemed like a completely different story and being able to sense it gave her a little comfort despite its large power level. At least the thing she'd been taught to use – sensing the opponent's ki - was actually working!

"This is the thing that came out of that skin you found?" Krillin confirmed questioningly, Trunks answering with a nod though he didn't seem entirely sure himself.

"I think so, we found it not too far from Ginger Town," was all he could say.

"W-We should probably go see what it really is," Chiri suggested nervously anticipating an uproar from her mother.

Naturally the uproar came and was just as every bit as terrifying as Chiri knew it would be! "What?!" Chichi thundered storming down the last of the stairs towards her daughter, fists clenched tightly into balls. "I can't believe what I'm hearing! Young lady you will stay here and help protect your father! I am not having you run off to some dangerous place again – not today! You have already faced countless danger fighting those androids – you could have been badly hurt or worse! No, I won't have such talk!"

"B-But Mother!" Chiri protested, an anger suddenly festering inside of her, "If we don't go then this monster will kill more people! We have to destroy it – Dad would do the same thing, I know it!"

"She's right," Trunks agreed though continued before Chichi could aim her fury at him, "though it might be a better idea if I go instead."

"Hey!" Yamcha gasped rising to his feet, Krillin adding a "Don't" as he mimicked his fellow schoolmate's stance. Even Chiri was a little anxious to see Trunks go; she'd wanted to go herself but it seemed too dangerous a place for someone as cool and needed as Trunks. They didn't really need her right now; she felt she was one of the weaker of the fighters but still wanted to be of some use, even if it meant going to see what this monster was and sacrificing herself to give the others a chance. Chiri'd never believed she could think of such a thing; she'd stood no change against the androids so was this now her lot in life? She was only six!

Trunks reassured them all with a smile. "It'll be ok. Remember, I can transform into a Super Saiyan. I'll be ok."

"L-Let me go too!" Gohan begged, reigniting their mother's anger.

"Gohan! You are not going either!" She protested.

"I'll be fine by myself," Trunks assured the young boy. "You guys stay here to protect Goku from the androids, just in case. I know where to go so I'll be off..."

Just as Trunks had left the room, Chiri felt the same feeling again, yet this time it was incredibly overwhelming. It seemed she was not the only one who'd noticed it as all those who were capable of detecting power levels had all rushed out the door behind Trunks, all facing north-west with horror and confusion engraved across their faces. Something big was happening out there, something baffling. What struck everyone else was the mixture of ki they could sense, yet it was all in one space.

"What is this?!" Krillin stammered flabbergasted. "I've felt this ki before somewhere!"

"Freeza... and his father?" Gohan stuttered in his confusion. No, it couldn't be true – both those monsters had been killed by Trunks! They'd seen it all with their own eyes!

"Piccolo... Goku... and even my dad!" Trunks added just as dumbfounded as the rest.

"I feel it too!" Yamcha nodded in agreement, just as perplexed by this as the rest of them. "This is impossible – Freeza and his dad are dead!"

Gohan leapt off the sand and up to the window of the top floor of the shack, quickly whirling around; "My dad's still asleep!"

"It's coming from the direction of Ginger Town," Krillin added grimly. In their hearts they all knew what this meant. Whoever or whatever had come from that shell had probably killed all those people and was probably what they could all now sense. Chiri couldn't make heads or tails of it all. Something bad was happening far, far away from then and she could not shake the ominous feeling bestowed upon her.

Without a word more, Trunks launched himself off the sandy island and dashed off into the distance as fast as he could.

"I'll go too!" Krillin called, giving Gohan and Chiri both quick glances before he turned and left. Both children knew what that look in his eye had meant: don't leave the island. Neither child was happy with this but nevertheless they obeyed, both knowing that if anything were to happen to their mother and father, they'd never live it down or forgive themselves. Right now it was better that the more experienced warriors took over.

"There they go..." Yamcha mused, bringing one hand to shield his eyes from the bright sunlight.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Master Roshi groaned.

"Don't we all!" Oolong chimed in with a shiver. "Those two must be out of their minds to wanna go confront the monster that killed all those people!"

Chiri slinked closer to her older brother, anxious for Krillin and Trunks' safety but wanting to talk about something that had been weighing on her mind. "Can I ask you something, Gohan?"

"As long as it's not about me letting you go follow Trunks and Krillin!" Gohan responded.

"No, I'm not gonna ask that," Chiri frowned, irked he'd suggested such a thing! This was supposed to be a serious thing, not a jokey thing! "It's... um..." She glanced down at the tiny fragments of sand surrounding them, eyes searching the soft ground as if she'd find the words she was searching for buried underneath it! "... I uh... I don't wanna say it in front of everyone."

"Oh," Gohan seemed a little perplexed by his sister's issue, surprised further when she'd seemed so embarrassed about it! "How about we go around to the back of the house then?"

The two siblings trudged across the shifting sands around to the back of the pink shack, somewhere Chiri hoped none of the other adults would hear her concerns. This was an awkward thing for her to have to come to terms with and it wasn't sitting well inside her body knowing that what she feared was true.

"So what is it?" Gohan asked in a hushed voice.

"... Well..." Chiri took in a deep and decisive breath and exhaled, hoping this would give her the courage to come out with it. "... I don't think I should be fighting with you all."

Gohan's first instinct was to agree with her. She was his little sister after all and had only ever experienced an event like this once before – that event had been short-lived and Chiri hadn't been as involved in that as the one they were currently facing. He knew she wasn't the strongest fighter amongst them – although she was definitely stronger than he'd been at her age! Still, that instinct as the older sibling made him want to shield her from this danger and agree that she should stay safe and far from the danger. Then there was his second instinct. She'd been trained for this day. If he'd been in her shoes (and he had been in her position many times already in his short life!) then he'd have wanted to be on the front lines, helping his friends and family. He'd been allowed to do that so why should it be another rule for Chiri? She'd shown just as much eagerness as he had to train for this threat – and he'd been the one to introduce her to it in the first place! It would be hypocritical of him to then tell her to stay away from the danger!

"What makes you say that?" Gohan asked. There had to be reasoning behind this and although he already had an inkling of what it could be, Gohan had to hear it from Chiri's mouth.

Shame swept across her face as Chiri recalled her experiences of the past day. She'd witnessed Yamcha almost die at the hands of Nineteen and Dr Gero, seen her father be struck down by an illness and almost be killed by Nineteen, seen a Super Saiyan Vegeta kill one of the androids and Piccolo almost bring them to victory only for Trunks to snatch that from them. She'd felt the ki signals of her dad's friends almost be wiped out and realised just how powerless she was against Seventeen and Eighteen. Worst of all, she'd felt every sign telling her she shouldn't be involved. The amount of times Chiri'd felt terrified during this one day, the amount of times she'd found herself paralyzed to the spot and had done nothing to stop herself from being hurt. Even during those bouts of anger where her determination to save someone had overpowered that fear, she still had been struck down like a fly. She was tiny compared to these monsters that had been set loose on their planet. She couldn't compare in any way possible. And now there was yet another monster appearing and killing people? What use was she if she couldn't even stop herself from being scared, let alone stop them?

"I'm... I'm always scared," Chiri forced the sentence out, feeling a little nauseous as it left her lips. She refused to make eye contact with him, already feeling embarrassed she'd even said it!

"You're always scared?" Gohan repeated with a hint of a chuckle in his voice, a smile coming to his face with relief.

It didn't sit well with his sister. "Don't laugh at me!" She spat indignantly. "I don't like being laughed at and it's not funny!"

"No, I'm not laughing at you," Gohan smiled. "It's just that being scared doesn't mean you can't fight with us."

"... But... I'm always feeling scared and that then means I can't make myself fight," Chiri grumbled, not buying what he had to say. "Everyone else isn't scared when they fight the androids!"

"Look, I go and help Dad, Krillin, Piccolo and everyone else fight bad guys, don't I?" Gohan asked, getting a silent nod from his audience. "Do you remember the time I told you about when the Saiyans attacked us all?" Again another nod. "Well I was just like you during that fight; I was really terrified of these guys and couldn't make myself fight them – not unless I got really cross. I was scared of a lot of the people we fought against on Namek, too. It's ok to feel scared of them, in fact I'd call you crazy if you weren't afraid of them!"

"... You were really scared?" Chiri asked.

"Yep."

"Really, really, really scared?"

"Uh huh."

"So scared that you wet yourself all the time?"

"... No, not that scared!"

"I bet you was!" Chiri grinned mischievously, feeling a little less pressured than before. "I bet Mr Piccolo had to save you lots and lots of times too!"

"He probably would have done if he hadn't died," Gohan frowned, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Actually, I did a fair bit of saving on Namek! The point is, Chiri, you don't have to worry about being scared of these guys. Really, it's no big deal. A lot of the guys here on this island are scared too of what's going on at the moment."

"... Do you think Dad is scared?" Chiri asked anxiously.

Gohan took a while to respond. "... I'll bet he is a little scared, but -" he quickly added as the worried expression crept across his sister's face – "I'll also bet he's trying really hard to come up with a solution. Dad's never really been one to show fear to his opponents; if he's ever stuck, he'll always be trying to think of a way to do something, even if it's passing his energy onto someone else, or using other people's help to get the job done. He's the bravest guy I know... and I know you and I will be like him one day. We've got his blood in our veins too, so we must have some brave in us! I sure know you do!"

"I do?" Chiri asked perplexed.

"Sure you do!" Gohan nodded. "Did you run away when the androids hurt Yamcha, or when Seventeen and Eighteen beat everyone up?"

"Well... no... b-but I wanted to," Chiri answered sheepishly, again forcing herself to face the painful truth.

"You may have wanted to but you didn't, did you?"

"No."

"Then there's your proof!" Gohan smiled. "You're already showing how brave you are because you didn't listen to your instinct!"

Chiri took his words in. Yes, she could see it made sense, although she'd have to ask later what instincts were!

"Hey, you two!" Yamcha's voice called from around the corner of the building, startling both brother and sister. "I think it's better that we all head back into the house. We're gonna see if we can get more information on this new threat."

"Right," Gohan nodded. "That should hopefully give us an idea of what that monster really was."


	19. IoC Chapter 19

**AN: **Ok, here's the start of the story which will begin to diverge from the original that we've all come to know and love. Just as a heads-up, I will be adding in other characters that weren't part of the canon storyline (going by the manga). You'll probably be able to guess who I'm referring to! As well as doing this, I'll also be altering who survives until the end - if any of our heroes even manage to do that...

I'm sorry it's taken so long to get to this point, I just felt this was as good a place as any to begin experimenting with the story and taking the saga in a different direction now that the foundations have been set. There will still be some similarities but also some major differences! I hope this will be as enjoyable for you all as the original story was - and that not too many people will be unhappy with any choices I choose to make regarding who lives and who needs to be wished back and who fights who! That's just part-and-parcel of the Dragonball story and I'm sure you'll get past it!

Thank you very much for your continued support!

LilDBZbuddy89

* * *

**Chapter 19 – Divergence**

Trunks and Krillin had left the others to find out what this bizarre power level belonged to, though everyone already had their suspicions. After being ushered back indoors by Yamcha, Chiri had rushed up the stairs and had settled down in the corner of the room her father was recovering in. She could hear the blurred sounds of the television downstairs as the worried adults continued to flick through news reports. She didn't want to listen to the morbid speculation; she already knew a lot of people had lost their lives and it saddened her to know there was a monster out there that was more than happy to kill the defenceless and innocent.

Goku still lay asleep, now looking far more peaceful than before. Chiri took a quick glance over to him before rising to her feet. Bravery was something that ran in her veins; her father had it after all and so did her brother; his words sticking inside her mind. She'd have to be very, very cautious and try to go as quietly as she could if she wanted to escape this small hut. Her father would do all he could to stop this monster from killing any more people, she just knew it! She wasn't just going to sit tight and let everyone else work out what to do; action was needed.

Tiptoeing over to the window she opened it ajar and peered over her shoulder once more, listening out for any sounds or suggestions someone was coming upstairs.

Nothing.

As quietly and gingerly as she could, Chiri slipped over the window frame, leaving the window open as she secured her footing on the lower roof of the house. So far so good. Adjusting her ki so she could fly but also so she could be as discreet as possible wasn't easy either, though she hoped with the two mysterious ki fighting in the distance she could go undetected. Her feet left the tiled roof gently as she floated almost like a feather into the air, slowly shifting away from the house and the island, hoping that no one would spot her.

* * *

Chichi strode upstairs looking for the set of books she'd been sure to pack for both her son and daughter. This was her main excuse though she still had every intention of making both her children study whilst they had the chance! She also wanted to check on her husband to see if the medicine was definitely having the right effect. It didn't matter how many times everyone told her it would work and how many times she'd already checked up on him only to confirm what they said was true, Chichi just had to know he was alright. She'd lost him to death once before and had feared another time he'd lost him in the battles on Namek. She wasn't a stranger to death and knew how much it hurt her to lose the man she loved, so if there was anything she could do to make sure he wasn't leaving her and their children anytime soon, Chichi would be sure to do it and do it again!

The room was quiet save the fan's gentle hum. Chichi wandered in expecting to see Chiri sleeping beside her father or somewhere else in the room. Eyes scanned the room in a moment of surprise. Her jaw dropped as she realised the room was empty of people save her husband who was ever present in the futon.

"CHIRI!"

The cry startled those downstairs and a couple of footsteps suddenly roared up the staircase, Yamcha and Gohan suddenly peering through the doorframe to see a terrified Chichi searching high and low for her missing daughter, checking under the covers, under plant pots, in corners she could clearly see did not hold her daughter! "Where is she? Chiri! You'd better come out young lady, this isn't funny!" Chichi demanded almost in hysterics.

Gohan clenched his fists tightly, infuriated with his sister and himself for not keeping an eye on her. She always did have a knack for sneaking out on adventures without being detected, it was a habit both siblings seemed to have. He shared little doubt in his mind that his own escapes had encouraged his sister to do the same and now it had gone horribly wrong! Furthermore he'd quickly recalled the conversation they'd had over half an hour go outside the house. They were in the middle of a dangerous battle with bizarre and deadly opponents everywhere – and now she'd chosen to run off! He had to locate her! Gohan quickly started to search for her ki, fearful she'd gotten herself injured or worse.

"Where on earth could she have gone off to?" Yamcha grunted frustrated. "I thought she was in here with Goku!"

"... There!" Gohan cried. "I can sense her –she's heading in the same direction Trunks was!" He felt absolutely horrified knowing where his sister was now destined for, not paying much attention to the loss of colour in his mother's face. Had he been the one to push her to make that terrible decision? He'd have to clarify what he'd meant by being brave – if he managed to find her in time!

"Oh my baby!" Chichi wailed throwing her hands over her face imagining the many horrible fates her baby daughter could be facing, absolutely terrified and unable to find any help. "S-Someone has to go get her back!" She spluttered. No matter what, she did not want two of her children in any danger so that left one obvious choice. "Yamcha! You have to go and get Chiri back!"

"What?!" Yamcha stammered baffled, a little nervous about the prospect of flying straight towards the danger. He may have been a fighter but he was sorely outclassed by every other warrior who still fought to protect the planet!

"No, I'll get her!" Gohan interrupted. "I know I can catch up with her if I leave now!" It had to be him to find her; he couldn't have Chiri spouting off the things he'd said to her; if their mother heard wind of this, he'd be dead!

"No! I won't have both of my babies getting into danger!" Chichi spat dismayed at the thought. "Gohan, you'll stay here and help look after your father!"

"B-But Mother, I won't be in any danger..." Gohan stuttered nervously; he knew right now he was treading on thin ice, trying to win a fight he'd probably not win through words. Only once had he managed to topple his mother through discussion and that had been when he'd begged to go to Namek with Krillin and Bulma. Back then he felt he had a duty to bring back all those who'd been killed by the Saiyans; right now was no different. He had a duty as a big brother to protect his little sister and bring her back home safely. "It'll be fine as long as you let me go now! Standing and arguing here won't bring Chiri back and I know how to make her change her mind! I'm going whether you want me to or not!"

With that the boy charged down the stairs, Chichi hot on his heels attempting to stop him. "Gohan! Gohan wait! Stop this!" She bellowed frantically. The two shot out of the door and onto the sand, Gohan leaping up into the air and bolting off, too quick for Chichi to grab hold of. As the thought of both her children rushing into danger and being harmed entered her mind, Chichi fell to her knees on the sand and bowed her head down, attempting to take in the facts. Both Gohan and Chiri had gone off after Trunks and Krillin, off to the danger zone. She was their mother; she hadn't been able to stop them, to protect them from harm. Why did neither of them listen to her? Where had she gone wrong?

A hand gently placed itself on her shoulder. A solemn Yamcha stood by the disheartened, worried mother. He didn't say much and his tone was serious. "I'm sorry, Chichi. Both your kids take after you and your husband... They'll be alright."

Anger suddenly broke free from inside her. Despite the difference in height, her hands clasped hold of Yamcha's shirt and she tossed him twenty feet or so into the air towards the sea! "Go after them!" She bellowed.

Yamcha quickly recovered from his bewilderment from being chucked clean off his feet and bolted after Gohan, who could still be seen in the distance. As the island quickly vanished from behind him, the nerves quickly settled in once more. He had two choices. Either he continued his journey and gave chase, possibly endangering his life... or he turned back to face Chichi's wrath! _'... Why me? Why do I always have to race off to places that'll no doubt get me killed! Goku your kids are insane!'_

He could still sense the battle between the two powerful energy sources going on somewhere close to West City. Between him and them were Trunks and Krillin, then Chiri, then Gohan just a little ways ahead of him. He prayed neither he nor the two children before him came anywhere close to the battle currently going on. He was certain one of the ki signals was possibly Piccolo; he could no longer sense the Namekian's signature ki signal though one of the two he could sense fighting seemed awfully familiar. The other was bizarre in its own way; there were so many different signatures written along it; Freeza and his father's ki were there, as was Goku's, Vegeta's, and Piccolo's... so many different types gathered all in one... How was that even possible?

Feeling even more terrified of this new power, Yamcha increased his speed to maximum. At this rate he'd catch Gohan in five minutes; the boy was also giving it his all and was pretty much as fast as Yamcha, if not a little faster... Perhaps the five minutes estimation was too generous!

* * *

Chiri's focus was still on the fight before her. She was certain Trunks and Krillin were almost there and was determined to make sure she also made it there in time. She could sense the two gigantic, unknown ki signals were still in the midst of their battle. Both towered over her own ki, almost terrifying her to dare to approach them. She knew she had to. Her father would never show any signs of fear in the way she felt inside, so she had to be brave. She had to try and do something, even if it did end up with her dying.

What was she saying? _'Mother would be really disappointed in me too...'_ Chiri frowned perplexed and confused with the two voices of her parents inside her head. Either she went ahead and risked her life trying to do what was necessary, or she turned back and stayed out of danger. The former sounded far scarier to her but she knew the latter was no longer an option, she may have only been six years old but Chiri was not oblivious to the real danger the planet was in. She understood if things went wrong then it'd be likely the Earth would be destroyed, blown-up. Everyone she knew and loved and hated would be dead – she would be dead. It was a horrifyingly upsetting thought and her mind screamed out how much she wanted to live every time it'd enter her thoughts.

Shaking herself from the morbid downward spiral of depressing thoughts, Chiri focused on keeping herself flying at maximum speed. She did not want her brother catching up with her; she could sense him creeping up slowly behind her, gradually closing the gap between them. She did not want to be caught; being caught meant a lecture from her brother and then having to return back to their mother... Chiri shuddered with fear at the prospect of being told off by her mother after disobeying her! She did not want to return without seeing this monster for herself, Gohan would have to wait! Anxious not to be caught, Chiri continued to fly at maximum speed. It wasn't in her best interests since her body was straining under her will.

Trunks' and Krillin's ki had both stopped moving; they had to be there at the battle scene, setting eyes upon the two ki signals. What would they see? Chiri didn't want to miss out on any of the action, she wanted to know what was fighting!

The wind continued to whistle loudly passed her as she darted above the hills and valleys below, certain at this rate she could make it without being caught by anyone...

"Chiri!"

Chiri's heart leapt into her throat, an overwhelming surge of adrenaline and fear engulfing her as her brother's faint but clearly furious voice reached her ears. Her first thoughts focused on refusal to turn back and head to Kame House; she had to help, she had to do something just as her father would. She had to be brave and keep the fear at bay! Then her next thoughts focused on how furious her mother – let alone her brother – would be when she was dragged kicking and screaming into the small pink shack. That fear kept her heart pumping wildly and she dug deep into herself to find any ounce of strength and speed that would keep her brother from snatching her by the ankle! _'Please don't get me, please don't get me!'_

Too late; Gohan had caught up to her and made an accurate and successful first-grab for her leg! Chiri was yanked back with a yelp, Gohan angry but still courteous enough to keep her upright. He snatched hold of her wrist with his other hand before releasing her ankle, so as not to allow his sister a chance to escape. Apparently she was pretty adept at escapes! "What are you doing?" He ordered, an authoritative tone akin to his mothers present in his young voice.

Chiri didn't feel she had the guts to look her brother straight in the eye but nevertheless she repressed her guilt and did so, a look of conviction and determination bravely masked across her face. "I'm gonna go see what Trunks and Krillin went to see." She answered with a slight hint of annoyance. She dared not attempt to snatch her hand from her brother's grasp; she knew Gohan would not be giving her any chances to flee the scene.

Gohan shook his head, brows furrowing further, "You know that's not a good idea. You don't know what's out there! This is not a safe time to be going out on adventures, Chiri! We have to stay together and look after Mother and Father! Trunks and Krillin can both take care of themselves and have had lots more experience in situations like this – you practically have none!"

"I fought the androids you know!" Chiri snapped, insulted by her brother's accusation of complete naivety. "I saw Mr Vegeta beat up that marshmallow android too, and Mr Piccolo beat up that Dr Gero android! I wanna be brave like they are!"

"You don't know just how serious this is!" Gohan barked. "I'm not going to let you get yourself killed because of your own curiosity and need to know everything! I know I said about being brave and being able to deal with your fears but now is not the time to be doing that! You're coming back to Kame House with me, even if I have to drag you back!"

"No! Let me go!" Chiri protested, finally starting to flail against Gohan's tightening grip on her wrist, throwing her clenched fist down on his hand several times. "I'm not gonna run away! Dad wouldn't run away and neither will I! Why won't you let me be brave? I wanna help! I wanna be braver than you ever was! You let people die because you was scared!"

Gohan did something he always hated doing. His other hand swiped across his sister's face, palm clean open as it struck her cheek. Chiri's head snapped to the side, her flailing fist instantly stopping its flailing against his arm, her shouts instantly silenced. It had been a momentary slip of judgement; Gohan hadn't meant to hit her at all. The situation and emotional strain conjoined with the fact their father was ill and their side was struggling to hold its own had led to his frustration getting control of him. Had he hurt her? Was she ok? How much would his mother scold him for hitting her? A month's worth of extra homework, not getting to play outside anymore... Not that any of that would matter at this rate! At this rate their families, friends and everything they knew and loved was in danger of being wiped out forever; no amount of punishment for hitting his sister could compare to the torment of future Trunks' time.

Chiri slowly glanced at her brother; fear and surprise lay deep within her reddening eyes. Gohan braced himself; he knew what was coming next. The wall of noise was about to erupt!

First a small audible wail slipped from her throat before the loud and unforgiving howl burst free. Chiri tried to snatch her hand back as she gingerly rested the other on her sore cheek, wailing and screaming as loudly as she could as the tears streamed down her chin. "YOU HIT MEEEEE!" She bawled through her large intakes of breath and loud crying. "WHY'D YOU HIT MEE? THAT'S MEAN! I'M TELLING MOTHER!"

Gohan made a half-hearted effort to console her knowing any effort he made – whether he meant it or not (and he genuinely did mean it) – would just be pushed away by his upset sister. She'd refuse any apologies from him, her only goal now would be to get him into trouble with their mother! So it was of little difference whether Gohan begged her to forgive him or didn't bother to calm her down, he'd still be in trouble. He still kept his hold on her, glancing over his shoulder as a powerful ki was detected, heading straight for them at an alarming pace. It caused Gohan little concern though; he wasn't too surprised the Saiyan Prince ignored them as he bolted past, the suction of his movement dragging a strong gust of wind behind him and momentarily stealing Chiri's voice.

'_He must have sensed this other power too,'_ Gohan noted to himself. A small pull on his sister's hand caught her watery eyes, now red with tears. "We should go," Gohan spoke; it was an order, not a suggestion. "I'm positive one of those ki signals belongs to Piccolo."

His mutterings was enough to soften Chiri's crying and she wiped one eye whilst attempting to gain some control back over her voice. "... P-P-Piccolo?" She hiccupped, cheek still stinging from the strike.

"Yeah, I can't sense his ki anymore but this one... it feels familiar, like it's his but not his," Gohan nodded. "Remember what Krillin said? He thought Piccolo was going to join with Kami so the two of them could become one and the same again. I think he's right; I'm sure that's Piccolo who's been fighting that other power." His stern frown lightened up and a small, hopeful smile emerged across his young face. "I'm sorry for hitting you, Chiri. It's just too dangerous for either of us to be flying around. Who knows what would have happened if the androids had found us. We're better off letting people like Piccolo or Vegeta or Trunks deal with what's going on right now; they're all really strong and know what they're doing."

Chiri was determined not to let herself be swayed by her brother's cheerful composure, still adamant she was going to cry and protest all the way back to Kame House! Still, as much as she tried to resume her uncontrollable fits of screams, she was unable to do so. Her endurance rates were falling due to the large strain she put on herself trying to escape his clutches and now it was beginning to have its toll on her. Chiri could feel herself growing tired and tried to shake it off. Perhaps going home was a better idea right now, she didn't really fancy falling asleep so close to a battle zone, especially when one of the two power levels had thrown everyone, taking them all by surprise with its many different signatures. She didn't like the feel of it as sensing it sent waves of nausea through her body.

Gohan noticed the levels of attention slipping in his sister and observed her for a while, quickly coming to an accurate conclusion. He could sense Yamcha in the distance heading towards them. Again he lightly tugged his sister's hand. "Come on, let's get back to Kame House. You must be tired after all that flying."

Chiri did not answer, her head tilting a little forwards, eyes half-lidded as she wrestled with imminent sleepiness. In the last moments she was able to keep her eyes open, she could have sworn, in amongst the lush shrubbery of trees below them, she saw a large green creature dash at high speeds, vanishing within the blink of an eye.

Then she felt herself roll forwards. Two arms caught onto her torso before everything went blank.

* * *

The cool and refreshing breeze on her face accompanied by the smell of sea spray were the first things she noticed. Then came the dull stinging of the slap she'd acquired on her cheek, though it felt cold. Perhaps someone had been kind enough to ice it; Chiri assumed even by now she had a large and impressive bruise on her face. She was lying on her side, her bangs gently brushing ticklishly against her face and neck. Her shirt had been removed so she lay in her vest, a thin sheet over the top of her to keep some warmth in but also to allow her to regulate her body temperature. The peacefulness of her surroundings and the soft, lulling sound of waves washing up outside the walls she slept in told her she was back at Kame House.

One eye cautiously opened, relieved to find no one was here, save her dad she assumed. Chiri winced as her tongue accidentally made contact with the inner wall of her cheek, reminding her that her older brother had slugged her across the face. She hoped their mother had seen the wound and had inquired where it'd come from, then proceeded to punishing Gohan as he could be relied on to tell the truth. A smug feeling washed over her; he'd hit her so he deserved to be punished!

Chiri cautiously rolled onto her back and sat herself up, the covers slipping down onto her lap.

"Good morning."

Chiri reflexively straightened up as soon as her mother's voice reached her ears. To Chiri's surprise, she didn't sound angry with her daughter for running off! Instead she sounded calm, almost pleased. Chiri cautiously glanced over to the woman who sat beside her ill-stricken husband. Chiri's eyes fell upon her father and a sad frown crossed her face. Upon closer inspection, he didn't seem to be sweating or in pain anymore; his face looked quite calm as if he were merely sleeping, not suffering from a dangerous heart virus. Chiri slipped out of bed and crawled over to her muscular father, studying him further. "... Daddy looks a little better..." She noted after a while.

"Yes," Chichi nodded in agreement, still sounding as calm as ever. It bothered Chiri; she was used to her mother always addressing any misdoings Chiri or Gohan had done. Now she seemed to be ignoring the fact her daughter had rushed off without permission to a potentially dangerous situation! Something wasn't quite right about this and Chiri couldn't figure out what!

"Your brother explained everything to me," Chichi continued. "You should thank him; he carried you all the way home."

Here it was.

"You shouldn't be so reckless, Chiri. You could have gotten yourself in a far more dangerous situation and Gohan might not have been able to save you."

Chiri frowned at the prospect of being killed in cold blood with no one to help or prevent it. That hadn't been her intention, she hadn't gone to get herself killed. She'd grown tired of sitting back and letting everyone else save her, she'd grown tired of feeling there was nothing she could do, feeling she was helpless against the situation. There were far stronger fighters who truthfully should have been in her shoes but the fact was, no one seemed to be able to succeed. The strongest man she knew was lying right here in this very room, recovering from a measly virus that had almost killed him, _had_ killed him in the future Trunks' time. Apparently strength didn't mean everything; she'd thought perhaps her willingness to want to do something would be enough. What a foolish thought that had been: all it had earned her was a sobering slap across the face from her brother! The cheek still hurt even as she gingerly laid a hand upon it.

"Mother..." Chiri started, a little reluctant to continue but the nagging feeling in her gut told her to. "... Am I a coward?"

Chichi seemed surprised by her daughter's question but the smile did not leave her face. "Now what would make you say that?" She asked. "No, you're definitely not a coward. Instead, you're reckless, you're daring, and you're overeager."

Chiri frowned, certain that somewhere in those words was an insult.

"... And..." Chichi added, "... You're also your father's daughter. You are definitely not a coward, Chiri. As much as I may not like it or wish to encourage it, you do enjoy getting to train with your father, don't you?"

Chiri gave a small nod, suspicious of her mother's words. She knew very well that her mother hated the idea of her and Gohan being trained in order to participate in deadly spats in a desperate bid to save their planet. She clearly had a much higher regard for their education and study over their training under their father. So it seemed bizarre Chichi would openly ask her daughter about her enjoyment and fulfilment in training. Chiri was very reluctant to answer because she feared her mother would shout at her for admitting she liked training, she enjoyed the prospect of getting to spar with someone. Yet from what she'd now come to know, sparring and actual fighting were two very different things. She truly enjoyed sparring but right now, she couldn't say she shared an equal love for the blood-thirsty battle-to-the-death style that actual fighting seemed to be about. Had she known she would be involved in ultimately deciding a person's length of life – or even her own life – she wasn't so certain she'd have become so enthusiastic about sparring...

"The swelling on your cheek has gone down, looks like you'll have that bruise for a while," Chichi took a closer look at her daughter's cheek. "Your brother has been duly punished for hitting you... but you should not have run off in the first place. I don't want you ever doing that again, understand?"

Chiri silently nodded, letting her mother dab her cheek with a wet cloth.

"Come down when you're washed and dressed," Chichi rose to her feet and turned to the door. "Everyone else is keeping an eye on the television broadcasts."


	20. IoC Chapter 20

**Chapter 20 – Recovery**

Chiri did not head downstairs as instructed by her mother, instead choosing to sit by herself in the small, quiet room she and her father'd recovered in. For a while she sat leaning against the wall with her knees to her chin, looking at nothing in particular and letting her thoughts run riot. Then eventually she'd taken to watching her father sleep, curious as to whether or not he really was getting better. He didn't seem as uncomfortable as he had done previously, plus his breathing seemed calmer. Her mother also reckoned he was recovering. That was something positive at least; she still had no confirmation about the identity of either of the two ki signals that had been fighting yesterday, even if Gohan reckoned one had been Piccolo. It had been a guess, it wasn't based on fact and Chiri was never satisfied until she knew herself it really, really was a fact! She had to see it for herself!

A low groan broke the rhythm of the waves and pierced the near-perfect silence, Chiri's eyes widened with surprise at the noise, unsure of what it was at first! It was then the body under the covers of her father's bed moved a little, one arm rising out of the thin sheet and resting on top of them. Chiri kept her eyes glued to her father, jaw almost agape as her heart began to pound in her chest, not entirely sure if what she was seeing was real or her mind playing tricks on her. He was conscious at the very least; was he waking up? Almost on cue the Saiyan's head rolled back as his jaw widened, a loud and deep yawn escaping his throat as the free hand rose and wiped his eyes. One dark orb emerged as his eyelids lifted half-lidded.

"... Da..." Chiri could barely get the word out – or finished! She stared dumbfounded as her dad shifted and slowly rose to a sitting position, stretching and letting out another loud yawn like a lion waking from a long and well-needed nap. "... Dad..."

Goku seemed to sense his daughter's presence and passed her a gentle, reassuring smile which only served to further the welling of emotion inside the six-year-old child. Her father, whom in Trunks' alternate time had lost the battle against the heart virus he had presently been crippled with, was now awake, sitting up and smiling at her in the same warm way he always did. She'd been determined not to give into her fears but couldn't deny she'd wondered if he would ever make it through even with Trunks' medicine. Now she knew all those fears were untrue. He was finally awake!

Chiri rushed to her feet and leapt forward at a fast pace, throwing her arms around her father's neck with a terrific howl. "DADDY! DADDY YOU'RE AWAKE!" Naturally she quickly burst into fits of tears, something to be expected of a child her age! She couldn't contain the sudden overwhelming feeling of sheer joy and worry, relieved that he was finally conscious, finally awake. All those thoughts that had raced through her mind about what it'd be like to not have her dad around anymore to look after them, how she and her mother and brother would cope, whether the fight against these androids would be truly lost as it had been in Trunks' time. Those concerns had been bottled up inside her and to now feel as if everything would be alright because her dad was ok was enough to set off the torrent that had been held back. The walls had crumbled under the weight and were now gushing out through her eyes, her wails and the strong grip of her arms around her father's neck. It was made all the more intense when Goku's strong arms wrapped loosely around her back holding her in a light hug and allowing her to sob all over his dark blue undershirt!

"Hey, what's wrong, Chiri?" The cheerful Saiyan asked in the concerned-daddy tone he often used with his two offspring.

The sudden stomping of footsteps rushing up the stairs on the other side of the door did not go unnoticed by either of the two present within the room; both sets of eyes turning to face the door. Sure enough it was almost pushed off its hinges as a panicked Chichi burst into the room, startled by her youngest child's cries. Her eyes immediately fell on her conscious husband who merely gave a small wave. "G-Goku!" Chichi shrieked with joy, suddenly squashing Chiri between her and Goku as Chichi embraced her husband in a tight hug for a few seconds, until the thought of injuring either of them crossed her mind! "Goku, are you feeling better?" She asked, eyes glistening as small beads lined her eyelashes. She too was overwhelmed by her husband's recovery and relief washed over her face, brightening it up.

"Sorry I scared you," Goku gave a nod, gently pushing his daughter away who was taken by her mother, Chichi's hands resting on Chiri's shoulders. The small child quickly rubbed her red eyes and tried to control her hiccupping; she didn't want to show her tears in front of her mother, no matter if they were tears of joy or sorrow! Both females reacted with alarm as the Saiyan warrior rose out of his sheets and onto his feet.

"Y-You shouldn't move around so much after recovering from what you had!" Chichi protested rising back to her own feet and following her husband as if the slightest movement would cause him to collapse! Fortunately Chiri could sense her dad's ki signal was a lot stronger than when he'd been sick, so she knew he would not fall. He was as energetic as ever!

"It's alright, I'm feeling as good as new," Goku sent her a reassuring smile.

Her mother would not be satisfied with that; Chiri watched silently as Chichi approached her father, "Are you sure? You're not feeling light-headed or weak?" The woman inquired, brushing her husband's bangs from his forehead and checking his temperature. Their daughter sat quietly watching with a mixture of disbelief and concern whilst her mother satisfied her own need to clarify her husband was not running a fever or about to pass out from overstraining himself. She was so relieved to see her dad back on his feet, it was like a large weight had been lifted off her mind and she could breathe once more.

It was only then she began to realise Gohan had not rushed up with their mother. "Where's Gohan?" She inquired.

"Your brother went off with everyone else looking for that Cell monster," Chichi answered, the expected note of anxiety present in her voice and written in her expression. "They all went off in Yamcha's big aircraft, something about masking their own movements so they couldn't be sensed."

Chiri nodded in understanding but was surprised Gohan had gone along with the others. Or rather she was surprised he'd been allowed to! Then again, who was this Cell monster? It had only just occurred to her she had no clue what her mother was talking about. "Who?"

"Oh, right," Chichi realised her daughter hadn't been downstairs once since she'd woken up from her sleep. "Well, Krillin and Trunks came back while you were asleep. They said something about some green bug-like monster being the one responsible for all those people vanishing. Piccolo was fighting him. His name was Cell apparently and he's supposed to be another one of the Red Ribbon Army's creations. They think Cell was the thing that came back in the time machine Bulma called about."

Chiri was astounded. Not necessarily because of the volume of information that had just come out from her mother's lips, it was the mere fact her mother had engaged her in the current situation and could tell her all she needed to know! Chiri'd always thought since her mother hated all this training and fighting, she'd also not pay any attention to the current foes or any information about them. It had surprised and impressed Chiri to see her mother did share a level of interest in the issue at hand. Still, she had never expected this vital information to come from her!

Goku strode across to the opposite end of his futon where his clothes had been piled up. Reaching down for his orange overshirt, he began to get dressed back into the rest of his fighting attire.

"You're getting dressed already?" Chichi spluttered with concern and disbelief, still struggling to come to terms with her husband's sudden energy levels. Not so long ago, he'd been weak and wrestling between the throws of life and death with a virus that supposedly could take down someone as powerful as he. Now she was supposed to believe he was suddenly completely ok? "I know you're eager to fight an' all but allow yourself to rest a little longer!" She insisted.

"G-Goku?!" Master Roshi's aged face popped around the edge of the door and he slid into the room. "S-Surely you aren't well already? What are you doing?"

"Daddy?" Chiri inquired, rising to her feet and approaching him a little. Was he going to suddenly take off without saying another word? It didn't sound like a wise idea. She'd seen him struggle against that marshmallow-looking Android Nineteen and from what she understood, Androids Sixteen, Seventeen, and Eighteen were all supposed to be much tougher than Nineteen. She'd seen it with her own eyes; Vegeta had beaten Nineteen but had lost to Eighteen... and this Cell-monster who Chiri could only assume was one of the power levels she'd sensed yesterday whom now all her dad's friends and her brother were looking for...

"I heard everyone talking in my dreams," Goku spoke not really bothering to make eye contact, too busy focusing on slipping his wristbands on. "I have a pretty good idea of what's going on. The Androids were unleashed, everyone fought them and lost... and now something terrible has happened again. A bizarre and terrifyingly large power level that feels like several different foes has appeared."

"Y-You can't fight again so soon!" Chichi protested voicing the thoughts her daughter and Roshi chose not to speak out loud, even bothering to lower her stance as Goku sat himself down and slipped his boots on! "You'll die!"

"Don't worry, I won't fight just yet," Goku responded sensing the level of worry his wife was now in, rising back to his full height and towering over the others in the room. Goku wasn't the tallest of people, some of his friends towered over him. Fortunately for the others, there was some sense in his decision not to fight immediately, the blunt and honest truth could almost always be found in Goku's words unless he was protecting someone's feelings, which didn't happen when talking about himself! "If Vegeta can't win against these androids, then neither can I. I don't need to fight them to know that... No, I'll conserve my strength and transcend the Super Saiyan state."

Chiri's eyes widened at the last part of her father's sentence. Her immediate first thought was _'What does transcend mean?'_ Her first proper thought was about the Super Saiyan transformation itself. She'd been told by Gohan that the Super Saiyan was a legendary transformation that only the Saiyans could do. She'd rarely had to face her father in that terrifyingly impressive state, his strength and speed usually too much for her to handle. It had seemed to provide her dad with invincibleness... until she'd seen both he and Vegeta and Trunks lose to the androids despite being Super Saiyans. It had no doubt been a humbling experience for everyone who'd witnessed it... Still, what did her dad mean by transcending the Super Saiyan?

"Is that even possible?" Master Roshi asked, blown away by his former pupil's suggestion.

"I don't know," Goku responded, "but I won't know until I try. I can't win any other way. I'll train for one year and if that's not enough, then I'll give up."

"One year?" The turtle hermit repeated, rhetorically adding, "Do we even have a year?"

"They'll destroy the planet for sure if we wait that long!" Chiri cried panicked.

"It's fine, I know of a place where I can train for one whole year in the space of a day." Goku smiled down at his daughter before turning to his wife, the smile replaced by a small frown, "Hey Chichi, is it alright if I take Gohan with me?"

Chichi scowled at her husband the instant Gohan's name was brought up. Chiri was wary of her mother when she was in this mood; she had always been very adamant on her views about her children training to fight monsters and murderers. Chiri wished her mother would see the bigger picture but all she seemed to care about was their education! As ever Chiri expected her to put up a big fuss about Gohan training.

"Not on your life..." The words spilled out of the woman's lips but were surprisingly followed by: "... is what my first reaction would normally be... but I know I can't stop you, Goku. You're always too insistent on putting our children's lives in danger! As much as I hate it, I'll have to give in..."

Chiri's eyes widened with astonishment.

Had that really just happened? What had happened to her real mother, this one had to be an imposter! First she'd given them information about this latest threat and now she was letting Goku train their children without putting up a fight! What was going on? She'd never known her father to be so uncertain about fighting an enemy and now her mother was letting Gohan be trained to fight these androids? Something was very, very wrong.

"You'd better make him as strong as you possibly can while you're at it!" Chichi added, lightly nudging her husband in the cheek with a fist. "I don't want our babies dying because you didn't train them hard enough!"

"... Chichi," Goku smiled, both surprised and relieved at how little resistance he'd encountered. His wife never failed to surprise him at times and it was such a large relief to know she'd given him her blessing to train Gohan. What had intrigued him was her reasoning in letting Gohan train; this quickly vanished as he grew excited about the prospect of getting a decent sparring partner. If what he had planned worked out then Gohan would become one of the greatest warriors on the planet.

"But," Chichi added, "You have to promise me once all the fighting is over, you'll get a job! I won't let you interfere in Gohan's studies again after this: our son – and our daughter – they're both going to get a good education, understand?"

"Sure," Goku nodded. She hadn't fully lost her will to get what she wanted; Goku wasn't really sure how much he'd enjoy the prospect of having to look for a job after the fighting stopped but if it meant he could train up his son... Maybe he could get a job doing what Master Roshi did and start to train up martial artists? The challenge wouldn't be great at first but who knew where it could take them? The money would keep Chichi happy and Goku could pass on his wisdom!

"Um..." Chiri butted in anxiously, "What about me, Daddy?" He'd mentioned training Gohan up; he hadn't said anything about training her as well. That did not sit too well in her stomach and suddenly she felt threatened by her lack of inclusion. Was she being sidelined?

Goku looked down at his daughter once more, a mixture of uncertainty and a smile on his face. He'd been thinking so much about Gohan's potential as a fighter, he'd forgotten about his daughter. She was an odd case; Goku knew Gohan had a fantastic potential inside of him, something he'd proven time and time again. The hidden abilities he had were incredibly valuable to them now, Goku had seen first-hand the kind of damage and magnitude of power the sudden outburst did to his son's ki signal. He'd turned from a boy with a small power level to a monstrous ball of untamed power, capable of damaging his own uncle Raditz with one strike, something neither Goku nor Piccolo had been able to achieve during their fight! If that power could be harnessed...

So what about Chiri? Goku hadn't seen anything similar in his daughter compared to Gohan's power, though she did have some favourable characteristics. For one she seemed very enthusiastic in training and fighting and always gave her all. She'd been a fast learner with ki manipulation. Furthermore she had that all-important unyielding spirit to always keep going, to never give in. On several occasions Chiri had kept on fighting until her body forced her to stop, often she would knock herself out with exhaustion and often Goku was having to carry her back home rather than her returning on her own steam. She had a lot of drive and determination in her, even if her childhood innocence still played a large part in her personality. She'd also participated in one serious battle prior to their latest problem and had pulled through without major injuries...

"Hold on," Chichi's voice cut through her husband's thoughts; the woman knelt down to her daughter's height so they were eye-to-eye, placing her hands on Chiri's shoulders. "Chiri, do you realise what your father and brother are about to do?"

"Yeah," Chiri nodded, "They're going to train to get better than the androids. I wanna do that too, Mother. I wanna get stronger so I don't have to be scared of them anymore. I can do something, I know I can. I really don't wanna not do anything, I wanna help too."

Chichi's face wrinkled a little as the frown on her face intensified, a small panic slowly bubbling away. She'd agreed that her son could train, knowing her husband would do all he could to make him as strong as possible. Chichi had faith in her husband and son; they'd both been in past battles saving this planet and other planets. Her daughter was a different matter. This was her first real and engaging battle, her first proper threat to her life... and as she had done with her son, Chichi wasn't sure she could let her younger baby go off into the fray.

"Chiri's the only one that fought against the other androids, right?" Goku asked.

Chiri nodded, "Yeah, I couldn't do much against them I'm afraid," She mumbled with embarrassment and shame. Having to admit her failures was one thing but to have to admit them to two of the people she most wanted to impress was a humiliation in itself. "... I tried my hardest but they were too much for me... That's why I wanna train too." She looked across from her father to her mother a couple of times. "I don't wanna be useless; I don't wanna keep on losing in fights. I wanna get better so I can beat the bad guys and help save everyone."

Chichi took in a small breath and looked into her daughter's eyes. "... You're just a child, Chiri." She spoke.

"I know... but..." Chiri looked away, averting her eyes to her father. "I can do something; I wanna do something to help. I don't wanna be left behind." The last few sentences had been directed more towards her father than her mother. Chiri was afraid her dad didn't see any point in training her and it scared her; she didn't want to be left while he and her brother continued to grow stronger.

"... If you're willing to work harder than you've ever worked before, I'll take you along," Goku answered finally. He wasn't sure how fitting Chiri into his plan was going to work, perhaps he could ask someone like Piccolo to train her, or maybe Tenshinhan? It would be a tough call but he could see the drive and willingness in his daughter's eyes and knew she would not let him down. However, he couldn't shake off the feeling he was dragging her into this. She wasn't like her brother, she was far more innocent and naive. Would this be one of the biggest mistakes of their lives? Goku hoped not. His daughter had to pull through.

Chiri nodded her head feverishly, "I'll work harder than ever before, I promise!"

"... Chichi?" Goku looked to his wife.

Chichi sighed and slowly rose to her feet, a dejected look on her face. "... She'll go even if I say no, so make sure you _really do _train hard, Chiri."

Chiri beamed with relief. "Thank you, Mother!"

"Grab hold," Goku held one hand out, his other clenching into a fist except for his index and middle fingers which were pinned together. They pointed straight for his forehead, lightly brushing it as he began to concentrate on locating Piccolo's ki, feeling his daughter grab onto his other hand with both of her smaller hands. He gave a quick smile to his wife and former mentor before suddenly he and Chiri vanished from their view.

Chiri's stomach felt bizarre and whirled around, body reflexively jolting as the scenery around her suddenly changed! It took her a moment before she realised the sound of engines were because she was inside an aircraft, or to be more precise, Yamcha's transporter craft! Several exclaiming voices hit her ears, most of them crying out her father's name.

"Dad!" Gohan gasped with joy, half surprised and half relieved to see his father fully recovered and on his feet. The Saiyan's appearance had brought many weights off of hearts and his friends were overjoyed to see him. Krillin even rushed up and hugged him, almost pushing them through the back hatch of the craft! Chiri watched without saying a word, just enjoying seeing the happiness on everyone's faces. It was the first time she'd seen all of them look this pleased and it gave her a warm feeling in her stomach.

"How did you even get here so fast?" Krillin asked baffled. "Man, that Instant Transmission technique of yours is awesome! I don't think I'll ever get used to it!"

"Are you really feeling all better now, Dad?" Gohan asked.

"Yep, I'm as good as new!" Goku responded, raising one hand a little to his stomach. "To tell the truth, I'm pretty hungry. I haven't eaten anything since that senzu bean you gave me, Krillin." His gaze averted away from them and fell upon the Namekian, who'd remained seated against the side of the craft. Without another word he approached him, hesitant and contemplating something before a smile emerged. "Kamicollo? ... Or would it be Pickami?"

"Don't merge the names too!" The Namekian growled. "I'm mostly still Piccolo anyway."

Chiri pulled a face wondering what her father was talking about! "What's he mean?" She whispered to her brother. "I thought Dad knew Piccolo's name..."

"Piccolo fused with Kami," Gohan began to answer, then realised his sister hadn't actually met Kami before! "Kami's the guy Piccolo used to be split from... it's a really long story! Anyway, Kami and Piccolo rejoined to create the person you see here. He even fought the monster we've been looking for! You remember that weird ki signal we felt before you ran off after Trunks and Krillin? That power belongs to another android called Cell."

"... Mother said about that." Chiri mused, pleased to see the look of disbelief on her brother's face. "I was really surprised when she told me all about it!" She turned her attention back towards her father and Piccolo; Goku seemed to be in the middle of a suggestion from what she could tell. She still couldn't get over how relieved she felt knowing her dad was now once again a valuable asset to their team; things always felt so much better when he was around. Chiri hadn't realised just how much she needed him to be there for them all and just how unsettled she'd felt over the past few days whilst he'd been ill.

"I don't think I could beat the androids or Cell with my current power," Goku was saying. "I'm going to go train with Gohan in that room where we can get a year's worth of training within a day."

"What? There's a place like that?" Tenshinhan asked intrigued.

"How is that even possible?" Yamcha asked, a little sceptical.

"So you wish to use the Room of Spirit and Time?" Piccolo asked confirming his suspicions, Goku giving him a nod. "... Of course... but you do remember your last ordeal in that room, right? No one has been able to stay in there for the entire year. You yourself spent barely a month inside the chamber – you didn't even make it out onto the outer world of the dimension!"

"I know," Goku sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, he remembered the struggles of the room very well. Scorching temperatures quickly plummeted to freezing blizzards; he recalled spending most of his time attempting to get used to the strong tug that the outside world had on him, something he wouldn't come across again until his journey to Kaio's planet. He now understood that tug to have been gravity – specifically ten times Earth's normal gravity. He could handle it now with little problem; he'd trained in far higher gravitational pulls on his way to Namek. "I was thinking of taking Vegeta and Trunks too, they should be able to handle it. Chiri would like to give it a try as well, if someone will take her in there."

Chiri felt her stomach twist itself in knots, hoping someone would indeed train with her in this strange place. It was beyond her to work out just how a year inside would work out to be a day outside... whatever that was supposed to mean!

"Then you'd better go quickly," Piccolo nodded. "Cell grows stronger and stronger every minute. He's already killed thousands of people and we can't afford for him to get a hold of one android, let alone both of them!"

"Right," Goku nodded, turning his gaze back to his children who had not removed theirs from him. "Gohan, Chiri, take my hand."

Gohan was about to reach out when something out of the corner of his eye stopped him. A glint of light dimmed the insides of the craft, light pouring in from the port side of the plane.

With that little bit of warning, the craft suddenly rocked violently, erupting in a large cloud of debris and smoke as the engines caught fire and exploded.


	21. IoC Chapter 21

**AN: Just here to say that Silverhawk88 was pretty sharp at anticipating what was coming! I wonder how many more of you saw this one coming. Still fiddling with what direction I'm gonna take this saga in...**

**- Lildbzbuddy89**

* * *

**Chapter 21 – More Androids?!**

Chiri had felt herself be grabbed around the waist by her father just before the explosion threw them off their feet. Her head spun and her ears were deafened by the roar of the explosion. The smoke from the burning engines stung her eyes and forced her to cough as she accidentally inhaled some of the toxic smoke in. Knowing she was in danger but in safe hands, she focused on clearing the inhaled air from her lungs, opening one eye cautiously as her father loosened his hold on her.

She saw the remains of the craft – now in flames – tumble towards the ground below. It sent shivers down her spine knowing she could have been inside that...

"You ok?" He asked, that serious tone of voice which he used only in dangerous situations. It unnerved his daughter to hear it.

"Y-Yeah," Chiri responded. Her heart shot into her throat threatening to choke her, it had just dawned on her that Gohan was also present when the plane had exploded! What had caused the explosion in the first place? Was everyone alright, or had someone been hurt?

"Heeeey!" Krillin's voice called, the short fighter approaching Goku and his daughter. Chiri looked around and was relieved each time she spotted one of the fighters alive and well: first Krillin, then Tenshinhan, then Piccolo and her brother, then Yamcha. Everyone was accounted for. Chiri's eyes shifted back to Yamcha as Tenshinhan suddenly shot towards him, a noticeable red streak falling from the tall warrior's body. Chiri's eyes widened and she inhaled with shock; Yamcha had been injured!

"Goku, we need to get Yamcha some senzu beans!" Krillin exasperated as he reached the Saiyan. Goku had seen Yamcha buckle over and was now calculating a plan of action, still preoccupied with the cause of the explosion! It hadn't been a malfunction of the craft; something had attacked them.

"I didn't sense anything!" Chiri whispered, the shock still overcoming her. "... Dad... is it the androids?"

"I don't know," Goku answered grimly. "... Chiri, take Yamcha to Korin's. Get him a senzu bean and come and find us. Fly there as fast as you can!"

"There!" Piccolo's voice carried over the high winds. He was pointing to a spot in the skies around Chiri's eight-O'clock position. Eyes scanned the area until they fell upon two dark objects. Chiri could sense no power coming from them, filling her further with a sense of dread and dismay; they had to be androids! They weren't _the_ androids... This baffled her. One shadow was short and stubby; the other tall and muscular. Neither were slender and mid-height from what Chiri could tell.

The objects suddenly zoomed closer towards them, quickly becoming visible and details easier to see. Then, metres from her and her father (causing her to float back a little), they stopped.

Goku observed them cautiously, still aware of the trouble Yamcha was in whilst Tenshinhan tended to him. "Chiri, go. Quickly!" He barked in a hushed voice.

Chiri knew now was not the time to disobey her father. He had that tone in his voice, a tone that told her he was not messing around. With one last peek at the strange new androids, Chiri turned and floated down towards Yamcha and Tenshinhan, quickly reaching the suffering warrior. On closer inspection she could see a wound similar to a gunshot had emerged on Yamcha's chest and right arm, both bleeding albeit not heavily. The ki blast – or possibly just a fragment of debris – had pierced straight through his arm, another piece of shrapnel had partially lodged itself within his chest but had not come out the other side. It was definitely causing him some discomfort which upset Chiri, but she knew to hold in her alarm. She had a job to do.

"Mr Tenshinhan, my dad wants me to take Yamcha to Korin," Chiri explained, taking Yamcha under his left arm and holding him over her shoulder. "Mr Yamcha, we'll get you a senzu bean and make you all better."

"You're not the androids we were warned about," Goku's voice carried on the winds, momentarily snatching Chiri's ear. As much as she really, really, really wanted to learn about these new foes, she knew her father would be furious with her if she stayed a moment longer. Against her need for knowledge, Chiri started up her aura, surrounded by a powerful jet of white as she launched herself and Yamcha through the skies, heading westbound for Korin Tower. At least they'd had one stroke of luck; they weren't too far away from their destination!

* * *

The two androids had spotted the craft moving in the distance. A smile emerged on the smaller android's face as his scanners indicated their target had suddenly appeared inside the vessel. It was fortunate that despite heading south-east, they had come across the aircraft Son Goku's friends were in. Then what luck it had been when Goku had suddenly vanished from Kame House and appeared in the craft before them! They had wasted no time in grabbing their foe's attention.

The taller of the androids had fired off a small ki blast designed to destroy the ship. Neither cared for the other warriors inside the craft, their only objective was to destroy Son Goku, just as the doctor had programmed them to do. Today had been their lucky day; the last time either android had seen the light of day was over two years ago when Dr Gero had regarded them as his plan B, should his better, stronger creations Androids Seventeen and Eighteen malfunction or be considered too powerful to be controlled. They had not been aware that after their final activation, Dr Gero had unleashed Android Nineteen and transformed himself into an Android, ultimately deciding he and Nineteen would be adequate enough to get the job done. When this had not been achieved, Gero had panicked and decided to jump straight to his strongest android creations, though technically Seventeen and Eighteen were cyborgs as they'd both once been human. Fearing Thirteen, Fourteen and Fifteen wouldn't be strong enough, he had woken Seventeen and Eighteen from their slumber. Little had he suspected within fifteen minutes of their activation, he would be dead.

Fourteen and Fifteen had woken to a scene of rubble and destruction. The reinforced steel roof of the second basement floor had saved them from the destruction seen on the floors above; it was clear someone had been here. They didn't know Trunks and Krillin had broken into the laboratories above and found the plans for Seventeen, as well as finding the barely-formed larval form of Cell in his static tank. The two warriors had assumed Cell was the only creation left in the labs, had proceeded to destroying the floor he was contained on before firing one last finishing attack down the shaft, destroying everything on the first basement floor. Fourteen and Fifteen had survived the destruction; the last explosion had been what had shaken them from their slumber. From then on they'd proceeded to carrying out their goal; locate Son Goku and kill him at all costs.

The craft in the distance exploded as the ki ball struck its target. The shockwave of the explosion hit them as the engines erupted into flame. Judging by their sensors, all passengers of the craft had survived the strike and were now floundering around trying to make sense of it all. The smaller android smiled to himself and began to slowly float towards them, the taller android following. By now Piccolo had spotted them approaching and had alerted everyone else to their presence. Both androids, still orientated vertically, shot forward at a much faster pace, halting metres away from their main target: Son Goku.

Fifteen's eyes, hidden behind his large glasses, observed those in attendance. He identified the others present without issue. Krillin was to Goku's left and to the former monk's left, Piccolo and Son Gohan hovered a little closer to the ground. Just below them were the Earthling warriors Tenshinhan and Yamcha.

The small girl to Goku's right was the only one neither android had much information on though they were aware of her existence: Son Chiri. So she had joined her father, brother and their friends in fighting after all, just as Dr Gero and his computer suggested she may do... Fighting seemed to run in Son Goku's family so it was little surprise to them.

"Chiri, go. Quickly," Goku had ordered his daughter in a hushed voice, not hushed enough not to be heard by the two androids. Fifteen reached into his large coat and pulled out a small silver flask, unscrewing the lid and taking a small swig of its contents before returning it back into his coat's inside pocket.

The young girl went without question, floating down towards Yamcha and Tenshinhan.

"Who are you?" Piccolo asked before anyone else could. "It's clear you're both androids since we can't detect any trace of ki."

"That's correct." Fifteen spoke, unfazed by the knowledge their foes held about them. It was already clear that Androids Seventeen and Eighteen were activated and that something had gone wrong in Gero's plans. Neither Android had been in their pods when Fourteen had searched through the rubble – Sixteen was also reported to be missing. Neither were sure on the details and whether their successors had been approached or made contact with their objective and Fifteen wasn't about to let them get the pleasure of strangling the final breath from Goku's lungs! It was a miracle in itself that he and Fourteen had survived, judging by the state of the laboratories. Rubble and ruin were apparent on the higher floors, although it was fortunate it hadn't gone through to their levels. The reinforced sealing the doctor had used had paid off and spared them from an untimely demise.

"Just how many of these monsters did Dr Gero create?!" Krillin grunted rhetorically, frustrated with the way events were unfolding. Just when it seemed there was hope again, suddenly their hope was stripped away from them! Not only were they still in the middle of locating Cell, they were also stumped for ideas on how to handle Sixteen, Seventeen and Eighteen!

""You're not the androids we were warned about," Goku muttered. "Which numbers are you? Twenty-One?"

"Incorrect," Fifteen answered. "Fourteen," he waved one hand over to the towering android beside him before bringing it back towards himself, "and I am Fifteen."

Fourteen noticed Chiri and Yamcha suddenly make a dash for it. This did not sit well inside the silent warrior's stomach and he extended one hand forward, gathering ki into the palm of his hand.

A quick dash from Goku caught the android completely off-guard; the Saiyan warrior roaring as he lashed out, landing an uppercut into the machine's cheek. Fourteen bolted back a few metres before righting himself and coming to a halt.

"They're of no concern to you, right?" Goku snapped. "I'm your target, right? Dr Gero created you to destroy me for destroying the Red Ribbon Army, right?"

Neither android responded.

"If you want me then you'll have to follow me! We won't fight here! I know of a better place!" Goku roared. His body was suddenly consumed by the aura of his ki, bright white and flaring around him like an all-consuming flame. Without another word he turned on the spot and dashed towards the north.

The movement of the two androids was almost impossible for the majority of the other fighters to follow, bar Piccolo who at present was likely to have been the strongest amongst them all. The fused Namekian immediately followed the deadly duo, prompting the others who were almost oblivious to follow them.

Goku glanced over his shoulder as he dashed over the landscape, hoping he could stall these new androids for as long as possible. If it was possible, he still wanted to get himself, Gohan, Vegeta and Trunks to Kami's Lookout to get his plan started, just as Piccolo had agreed. However he could see himself becoming preoccupied with these mechanical fighters. The Saiyan blood inside of him stirred and despite his recent brush with death and his defeat against one of Gero's android creations, Goku was determined to prove himself and to show he meant business. Now he no longer had to worry about the heart virus killing him, there was nothing to hold him back from fighting these machines. The only problem was he couldn't currently determine just how strong they were compared to Nineteen and Twenty, much less Seventeen, Sixteen, Eighteen or even Cell! He cursed Dr Gero for his genius at hiding his creations' power levels.

The duo seemed to have little issue keeping up with him much to his concern, though the prospect of a challenge did excite him. With that in mind, Goku turned to face the direction he was headed for, hoping that a little luck would play into their hands and that no harm would come to Chiri or Yamcha as they travelled to Korin Tower.

Close behind the androids and Goku, Piccolo led Gohan, Krillin and Tenshinhan across the barren landscapes, the Namekian intensely watching their foes before them. This whole thing did not sit well in his stomach. Here they were now fighting yet two more of Dr Gero's blasted androids and Cell was still on the loose! Their top priority should have been tracking the green monster down in order to stop him from assimilating with Androids Seventeen and Eighteen, not being distracted by yet more androids claiming they wished to destroy Goku for what he did to their creator's army!

"This is nuts!" Krillin growled with frustration, doing his upmost best to keep up with Piccolo. "Just when you think it can't get any worse, even more androids make an appearance!"

"I know what you mean, it's frustrating," Tenshinhan nodded in agreement. "Just how many of these machines did that Dr Gero make?"

The flight lasted for quite some time. The wind soon grew colder and bitter against their skin as the grassy valleys and hills were slowly replaced by mountain ranges and large coats of white dusting the ground, slowly thickening as they travelled further and further north. Soon it was easy to see their breath on the air despite the speed in which they travelled.

Goku glanced down, relieved to see no signs of life down below them: there were no animals he could sense, nor were there any signs of civilisation. This looked like the perfect spot to fight.

The Saiyan suddenly descended towards an outcrop halfway down a mountain, feet landing firmly on the ground, sinking slightly under the sheet of snow that covered the top of the outcrop. About five metres from him hovered Fourteen and Fifteen; neither showing any signs of fatigue or distress to the bitterly cold wind currently howling through the peaks of the mountains surrounding them. Further back from them, his allies all hovered around the two machines, each in their own thoughts about how the battle would go, except for Krillin who was too busy muttering about needing a jacket!

Goku took in a small breath preparing himself for the conflict that was about to come, his heart beating loudly in his ribs. If he was right, he should hopefully stand a decent chance against these machines. However there was information he needed to get first. "I see Dr Gero didn't neglect you two; you seem as sturdy as the others we've faced." He muttered, eyes flicking over the two androids, taking note of just how well put-together they both seemed.

Neither android spoke or even acknowledged him.

"Dr Gero never made any mention of you two when he came face-to-face with us," Piccolo spoke, breaking the silence. "Why was this? Perhaps you were not adequate enough to take us all on?"

The accusation didn't seem to sit well in the shorter android's expression; Fifteen merely grimaced and shook his head. "Only a fool would make such an assumption. Dr Gero began our construction but it was not he who completed it."

"What do you mean?" Goku asked baffled and a little alarmed. "Was there someone else working with him?"

"No, not someone: something," Fifteen answered. "Our progress was monitored by Dr Gero's computer, hidden deep underneath several basement floors. All three of us were completed by the computer and have been woken. We see Dr Gero is no more..."

"Three?" Gohan mumbled quietly, gulping a lump down in a bid to clear his throat. "Did you hear that, Krillin?"

"I-I think so," Krillin nodded grimly. "I only see two of them here..."

"Could he be talking about Cell?" Tenshinhan pointed out. "Krillin, didn't you and Trunks destroy the small Cell in the laboratory?"

"Oh, yeah!" Krillin nodded in remembrance. "Good call! Maybe they're mis..." His smile quickly faded, left by a puzzled look. "... No... That doesn't make full sense... These guys say they were in the basement but neither Trunks nor I saw them! If they were really there, we would have destroyed them whilst we were destroying the little Cell in the tank!"

"Our goal is to kill you, Son Goku," Fifteen interrupted. "Dr Gero's other androids must have already been activated and killed by you if you still live. We shall finish the job they failed to do."

"They think the other androids are gone?" Gohan whispered in wonderment.

"Looks like these androids can't feel whatever sort of energy the others emit," Krillin responded quietly. "Strange how they were able to track us down though..."

"That's a good point," Piccolo perked up, eyes falling back to the androids. "Tell us, how did you find us?"

"We have energy detectors built into our systems," Fifteen spoke. "We can sense the location and intensity of the ki you organic beings emit. It was quite a challenge finding you all but very convenient to find you all in one place, especially when Son Goku appeared amongst you all."

Goku bared his teeth a little, feeling frustrated. Dr Gero seemed to have put in a lot of time and dedication into all of his android creations and it astounded him that each new batch seemed to have their own capabilities and strengths. Nineteen and Twenty had been able to absorb energy and could identify each fighter from the information Gero had provided them. Then Seventeen and Eighteen were supposed to have infinite energy – Goku recalled hearing the others downstairs talking about it whilst he was dreaming – though from what everyone could tell, they weren't able to detect energy. Sixteen was still a complete mystery. Cell was capable of absorbing matter and making himself stronger, able to detect ki and also having an array of different fighter's DNA within him giving him a variety of capabilities and techniques. And now there were these two new androids; they could also detect ki. What other powers would they have? Infinite energy? Absorbing ki?

"Hold on, this still isn't making sense!" Krillin protested. "Trunks and I went to Dr Gero's lab – we found the basement! We found Seventeen's blueprints, we found Cell in his larval form and we found the computer keeping him alive! We destroyed it all! The entire lab went up in smoke! How are you two androids still alive?"

"You destroyed only the top layer of the basement floors," the much taller Fourteen spoke quietly. "We were three basement floors further down."

"Dr Gero's computer is merely a super computer split into several interconnecting computer systems; in reality it is several super computers all linked up by the same network," Fifteen explained, clearly indifferent to answering questions based on his master's work. "You can destroy one and the rest will function perfectly fine without it. This Cell creature must have been one of Dr Gero's more recent creations... insignificant in determining your fate. We will be the ones to kill you, Son Goku."

"So you're all after me?" Goku raised an eyebrow. "Well if you want to kill me so much, go ahead and try! I've just beaten a virus that should have ended my life long before any of you machines would have done! I'm back and stronger than ever before, I can feel it. I'm eager to see how I compare against you two." He clasped his hands into tighter fists and lowered his stance slightly, an excited smile slowly forming across his face. "Let's see what you can do."

"Don't rush in so fast," Piccolo butted in. "You've only just recovered from that virus. Even with the power boost you've surely obtained from recovering, I am still the strongest amongst this group. You said you had a plan, remember?"

"Yeah but..." Goku frowned looking back at the Namekian as if he were a child trying to coax his parent into letting him play outside a little longer! "... It can wait for the time being. I'm confident we can handle these guys... and besides, you heard it with your own ears. They can sense us; if I run and collect Trunks and Vegeta, surely they'll just follow me wherever I go? I'm better off staying here and dealing with them right now."

Piccolo didn't respond, instead he just growled and put up his hunches. He couldn't see a logical way to get Goku to leave the fight up to him; it was likely these androids would chase him down no matter where he went. His own claims of being the strongest weren't all hot air; he had recently joined with Kami and proved to be more of a match for Cell. He was certain at this level he could pose a serious threat to Seventeen and Eighteen, though with the two fighting together he wasn't so sure. He had little idea how these two androids before them compared to the ones they'd already faced...

The snow suddenly leapt into the air as Goku lunged forwards, vanishing quickly from normal sight. Both Fourteen and Fifteen vanished with him.

The fight had begun.


	22. IoC Chapter 22

**AN:** Just to say sorry I didn't upload this last Monday, I was on a school trip for the week so was unable to do so! I won't be posting a chapter next week as I'll be away again, this time on holiday! Bear with me!

I would also like to mention that as flattered as I am that I've even been asked to do so, I won't be putting other people's OCs into this story, just my own. I'm sorry if this disappoints people but I wouldn't feel comfortable putting them in, especially since I've more-or-less worked out the plot for the rest of this saga. To me OCs are personal to the people who create them and a lot of investment goes into them as they are developed. I don't want the responsibility of putting them into any story I write because if I decide to do something to them, I wouldn't want people getting cross about how I'm treating their OC! At least if it's my own OC I know their character traits and can do what I want with them; I don't feel comfortable doing the same thing with OCs I did not create as I feel the creators do get attached to them. It's just too much to handle so I'll politely refuse any request to do so.

Enough about that! On with the story!

- Lildbzbuddy89

* * *

**Chapter 22 – Battle of the Snowy North**

It had been twenty minutes since the two of them had left their friends and family floating above the wreckage of their aircraft. Chiri had Yamcha under his arm as she escorted him towards Korin Tower and the promise of senzu beans. The scar-faced fighter had received damage as a piece of shrapnel had injured him when their craft had been blown from the sky by two unknown androids. Chiri shuddered at the thought, feeling the knots growing and tightening in her stomach. She hated feeling as weak and helpless as she did and hoped nothing scary would come between them and Korin. She wouldn't be able to beat it by herself if anything bad were to find them. With that thought in mind, Chiri wished Gohan had been sent along with her, at least then she'd feel safer! Gohan wasn't the strongest fighter in their group but she trusted him to defend himself and her. His absence only made her feel vulnerable.

The forest soon appeared underneath them, thousands of feet below. Soon Chiri could see a thin line streaking up into the sky, piercing it and almost slicing it in half. Way, way above the clouds was the top of the lookout. That was her destination; at the top of Korin Tower, Korin would be waiting with his senzu beans. Chiri was relieved she could now see the tower, "We're nearly there Mr Yamcha. We'll get you some help, don't worry!"

This was more said to keep herself calm rather than for Yamcha's benefit. She couldn't help shake off the feeling she was being watched or followed. Even when using her ability to sense ki, all she could sense was her father and the others. Looking over her shoulder brought no results either. She couldn't see anything so why was she so nervous?

Almost there now, the tower's pale colouring was just becoming noticeable now, the sun's rays reflecting off the chiselled pole.

Then it made itself known to them.

A flash of light darted past Chiri, barely grazing her nose. The contact was enough to make her yelp and halt right in her tracks, almost dropping Yamcha in the process! She didn't have time to react as a shower of ki attacks suddenly rained up from the dense canopy below them. Chiri did her best to dodge; Yamcha quickly became animated and released himself from Chiri's grasp, quickly taking control of the fight. The bandit pushed Chiri back, "Go! Go to Korin! I'll hold it off!" He ordered with a roar.

"B-But...!" Chiri stuttered, hesitant before turning on her heels and launching herself towards the pole standing thousands of metres into the sky. She could sense the culprit down below; it was as clear as crystal how little a chance they'd hold off against that monster. Worse than any android Chiri'd come across, growing stronger and stronger somehow. She dared not look back over her shoulder, she tried to block out the feel of Yamcha's ki making plummet after plummet as each attack struck, the tall fighter soon vanishing under the thick canopy of the forests.

Chiri almost collided with the top of the tower, swooping in and landing with a thud which sent shockwaves through the soles of her feet. She ignored it, heart palpitating too wildly to pay any attention to her feet. Indeed she was greeted by the white cat she'd come to know as Korin. Yajirobe was also present and had apparently made it back safe to Korin Tower despite his plane accident a couple of days prior.

Without a word, Korin tossed over a small bag of beans, Chiri catching with relative ease.

"Go to them and give your father and his friends those senzu beans," Korin instructed.

"N-No, not yet!" Chiri stammered, turning on her heels and running towards the edge of the tower. "I've gotta save Mr Yamcha!"

"You can't!" Korin cried more urgently than before.

Chiri stopped dead in her tracks.

No, it couldn't be... but it was.

Yamcha's ki had completely vanished. How? It had been there moments before, Chiri was sure of it! It could only have been ten seconds duration of her short burst of flight from Yamcha to here! Or had she severely overestimated her speed? Whatever the reason was didn't matter; Yamcha was dead! His ki was gone, nothing but a hollow shell of darkness remained where his life force had once been.

Chiri shrieked out in horror and threw her fists down onto the tiled floor. "No! No, no, no! No! I didn't take that long!" She screamed almost infuriated. Her blood was boiling and rushing to her head, her sorrow and infuriation at her own inadequacy battled inside her infant body leaving her in an emotionally wrecked state. Her inner hatred turned towards Cell and without giving either Korin or Yajirobe a chance to console or stop her, Chiri bolted from the tower with all the speed she had, halting above the spot where she'd last sensed Yamcha. Flaring eyes pierced through the tree tops, determined to find the monster hiding amongst the shrubbery.

Neither Korin nor Yajirobe made much of a physical attempt to stop the girl, neither fast enough and both self-aware enough to know they'd never made it in time to grab hold of her. Instead, Yajirobe folded his arms and shrugged his shoulders half-heartedly. "What does she expect to be able to do? She can't beat Cell, 'specially since she's a lil' kid and all! She ain't got a lot of experience in fighting... Stupid kid's gonna get herself killed."

"She's Son Goku's daughter..." Korin mused more to himself than to Yajirobe, his ears folded downwards in the wake of Yamcha's untimely death. "... Maybe she's got his insane amount of luck!"

Chiri's eyes pierced through the thick canopy below, still unable to find the culprit but knowing he was in a close proximity to her. Her mind was not thinking rationally; all she felt was anger and pain and all she wanted to do was extract revenge for the terrible deed he'd done.

"Looking for something?"

The voice was eerie and gravelly, something Chiri was convinced only a monster could make. She spun on the spot, eyes piercing the green spotted skin of the insect-like android that hovered metres before her. This was the first time Chiri'd seen him face-to-face and his height took her by surprise. He was easily seven times her own height, very green and with a face that looked a little like a praying-mantis. His hands were comprised of three fingers and he had three toes; a long tail with a stinger on the tip emerged from his lower back and for the moment was still. The sheer look of him sent shivers down her spine – and Chiri liked bugs!

In the monster's left hand hung a corpse, wearing the familiar turtle-school uniform. Yamcha's head drooped down, limbs limp and swaying with every minute movement Cell made. Blood poured from the wounds he'd recently acquired, some bleeding more heavily than others. He was already far too gone for Chiri to be able to attempt freeing him from the android's grasp and shove a senzu bean down his throat, nothing she could psychically do right now could bring him back to the world of the living. The audacity of Cell to hold onto that valiant man rubbed Chiri the wrong way but her fear of him kept her back. She wanted to hurt him, the fury and anger inside her was like nothing she'd ever felt before. She'd never wanted to physically hurt someone like this before.

"I was surprised to see you two of all people stalking around as if you could stand a chance against any of us androids," Cell jeered, a creepy smile etching across his mouth. "Tell me, where is Son Goku?"

Chiri didn't answer, her eyes still fixated on Yamcha's dead body.

"Tell me or you'll end up like Yamcha here," Cell threatened, still no response came from Chiri's mouth. Her lack of words began to irritate Cell; he could see she was distracted in some form, so naturally he used his senses to find where the other stronger fighters were located. He was quickly surprised to sense the power he felt, recognising one instantly as Piccolo. The other was a Saiyan, a Super Saiyan. Son Goku had returned! What was even more exciting was that he couldn't trace any ki from whatever it was the two warriors were fighting. That meant only one thing; they were fighting the androids!

He could use a little more strength.

Chiri saw the blur of Cell's tail shift and jolt forwards, screaming when it struck Yamcha clean in the back. "Wh-What are you doing?!" She screamed. "He's already dead!"

This was the least of Cell's interests. His tail began a rhythmic pulsation, strange sounds emitting from it. Chiri's eyes widened with horror and disgust as suddenly, Yamcha's body began to change. The closest word she could find to what it was doing was melting; somehow his skin was retracting, his bones slowly deforming and his body shrinking in size. She couldn't watch; Chiri turned away and screamed out with protest but Cell continued until nothing but Yamcha's clothes remained in his grasp. With little concern he released the turtle-school uniform, letting it fall on the wind down to the forest below.

Chiri was scarred, she'd never imagined anything so horrible could be possible. She couldn't remove the image of Yamcha melting from her mind, as much as she wanted to banish it and never come across it ever again! It haunted her, stuck into her mind until she was nothing but a shaking, shambles of a warrior. She couldn't stomach it, she couldn't fight anymore and all the fury had left her system. All she wanted was to go home and curl up under her covers with her mother nurturing her.

"How do you like my Bio-Extraction technique?" Cell took delight in seeing the mental scarring he'd induced. He had little need for the youngest spawn of Son Goku, his secondary target. No, he had much more pressing matters to attend to. He had to track down the androids at all costs and absorb them. Then he would become the perfect being he was designed to be. He had to find them before Son Goku, Piccolo and the others destroyed them. At his current capabilities, it would take an hour to reach them by flight.

Convinced he was not going to get a response from the small girl, Cell bolted from the spot heading north-east. His absence was not noticed by Chiri for quite some time, who spent the next ten minutes or so quietly shaking and crying silently until she could no longer stand the wetness of her face. Wiping her nose, she realised just how battered she felt inside and uncertain of what to do, she descended to the dense forests below, settling herself on a tree branch and resting for a little while. She needed to gather her thoughts and calm herself down. How did her dad and brother and their friends do this? How did they pick themselves off and act like nothing had happened even after seeing their friends die? She couldn't get that image from her mind, it had engraved itself and refused to leave her mind's eye, refused to let her forget. She wanted to forget, she really, really did!

Something dropped from her hand, Chiri glancing down to watch it fall from the branch to the thick shrubbery below. Her eyes widened in alarm as she realised it was the senzu bag! With the adrenaline surge, she rolled off the branch and fell, striking the ground with a heavy landing and flinching under the shockwaves sent up her limbs. The senzu bag was a few feet ahead of her; just a few yards ahead of that was an orange top. Chiri crawled on sore knees over to the senzu bag, cradling it in her arms as she stared over at the orange cloth, staring particularly at the turtle-school logo placed on the left corner of the uniform.

They were in trouble.

Chiri didn't think she could face returning to her father and brother and telling them the bad news. She couldn't stand to think how disappointed everyone would be in her for failing to get Yamcha the help he needed. The shame and embarrassment threatened to consume whatever thought she had of heading back to her father. Fortunately the senzu beans in her hands were a good enough excuse. At least she could deliver them to the others, providing she wasn't too late to save them...

She didn't want to lose them and sitting around here wouldn't save them.

Taking a small breath and gathering her thoughts, Chiri rose to her feet and slowly ascended back into the air, passing the level of green and appearing back into the bright blue skies. Already Cell was so far ahead of her; his speed was absolutely terrifying. There was absolutely no way she could reach her family in time before he arrived... but then again, Piccolo had done really well against the monster. She hoped the Namekian warrior and her dad would beat the stuffing out of Cell when he arrived!

Her aura suddenly consumed her as she charged up her power and pushed herself through the skies, heading north-east just as Cell had.

* * *

Goku's fists made contact once again with Fourteen's strong, muscular arms. The frustration was getting to the Super Saiyan; he seemed to have the power to deal some damage but what this android lacked in social skills, he made up for in fluid speed, practically anticipating every single one of Goku's attacks! All Goku could assume was that somewhere and somehow, these androids had picked up his fighting style and techniques. This meant he'd have to come up with something new and quick!

His saving grace was the great relief to feel a large surge of power now pulsating through his body; that heart virus hadn't been an easy foe to overcome but it had left him with a new well of power, far greater than when he'd fought Android Nineteen.

Whilst Goku was fighting Fourteen, Piccolo was easily holding his own against Fifteen; the shorter android seemed to be having a rough time against the super-charged Namekian. Fusing with Kami seemed to have been more of a blessing than Piccolo'd anticipated; he too had noticed Fifteen initially anticipating his attacks and so had changed his style, now throwing the android off and slowly whittling him down. It was fortunate that his own strength also seemed to be helping to fight this android, he was actually making visible damage.

"This is going better than I anticipated," Krillin smiled as he, Tenshinhan and Gohan watched from the sidelines. "Goku's looking a lot stronger and faster since he fought Nineteen, plus Piccolo's looking fantastic now he's fused with Kami! We may just get outta this alive..."

"I hope you're right," Tenshinhan muttered, eyes fiercely swaying left and right as he followed the rapid movements of both warriors.

All three warrior's eyes widened, all three heads spun to a south-west direction as Cell's powerful energy suddenly grew larger; another energy they knew slowly faded until it vanished completely. Then Cell's power died down, until it barely became traceable.

None of them knew what to say or to do.

"... Chiri was over in that direction..." Gohan whispered almost breathlessly, heart pounding in his chest as the fear and worry quickly took hold of him. "Yamcha's energy is completely gone! I can't sense him at all!"

"... He's gone," Krillin shivered. "... It's gotta be Cell, it just has to be! I felt like I could sense everyone over in that one spot but I know Goku is here, fighting before our eyes! There's no one else it could possibly be!"

"No!" Gohan bared his teeth, "I-I have to go over there! Chiri was supposed to get Yamcha a senzu bean; she could be in serious trouble! I have to go help her!"

"They're too far off!" Tenshinhan barked as Krillin grabbed hold of Gohan's wrist. "Sorry to say it, Gohan... but you'd never make it in time. Not unless you can teleport like your father..."

"She's my little sister!" Gohan protested fiercely, yanking his hand free from Krillin's half-hearted grasp. "I don't care if I can't teleport, I have to go help her! She can't fight Cell off all by herself!"

"And you _can_?" Krillin barked rhetorically. "Gohan, you won't make it to her in time-" He stopped mid-sentence, eyes leaving Gohan and focusing back into the south-east, not that there was anything in particular to see other than the snow-coated mountains. He hadn't been the only one to become distracted by that direction; Cell's ki was moving. It was moving in their general direction. That knowledge alone would have sent shivers down their spines, regardless of the chilling wind nipping at them as they stood in the frozen wasteland of the northern hemisphere! None of them stood a chance against a foe like him, no one except possibly Piccolo. Furthermore, why was it that when they'd been trying so hard to track him down, he'd eluded them at every turn, and yet now they had their hands full with yet another android menace, he chose to reveal himself and have the audacity to approach them!

"Why's he heading over here?" Gohan queried, the anxiety of wanting to save his sister subsiding as the confusion of Cell's approach gripped his mind.

"... He can sense us fighting," Krillin realised. "That's gotta be it! He must have figured since he can't sense who we're fighting, he must think we've found Seventeen and Eighteen!"

"He's gonna get a nasty shock when he realises how wrong he is," Tenshinhan's lip curled up as a reassuring thought crossed his mind. "Hey, if Goku and Piccolo take these monsters down, perhaps they could join together and take Cell on when he arrives? I'm sure with Goku's help, Piccolo would stand a much better chance against him!"

"Cell's crafty," Krillin wasn't so sure, "Give him some credit... When he finds out these aren't the androids he's searching for, I'm sure he'll find some way of escaping from us... and anyway," he nudged his head over to the fight behind them, "I don't think Goku and Piccolo are having such a good time against these guys!"

Goku stumbled back a couple of feet, dazed by a direct punch to the nose that had sent his head spinning. His silent foe's attacks weren't the fastest but they had solid power behind them. If Goku was going to last against him, he'd have to dig deeper and summon more power. This would be easier said than done. Although he'd finally recovered from his heart virus, his body was still weak and hadn't been given enough time to fully regenerate itself and get back to normal. The worst was truly over but Goku's stamina had taken a beating. Perhaps he should have eaten something before heading off to reunite with everyone else in the jet-carrier...

Fourteen charged forwards, dispelling a large chunk of snow as he lunged forward. Goku crossed his arms before his skull and braced himself, taking Fourteen's headbutt head-on. The collision wasn't enough to knock the Super Saiyan off his feet but he was forced back several metres through the snow, an increasing mound of snow building at his heels. Goku let himself fall backwards, throwing his arms over his head to catch himself and lunging his feet straight into Fourteen's stomach – instead caught by Fourteen's large, tight hands. The android ripped Goku off from the ground, pulling him over his own head before tossing the Super Saiyan as hard as he could into the snow. Goku vanished in a thick column of snow, accompanied by a large crack as he made contact with and even crumpled the rocky ground below.

"Goku!" Krillin cried, alarmed at the sudden drop in his childhood friend's energy as he'd struck the snow.

Fourteen towered over the vanished warrior, both hands outstretched, palms open and pointed towards the ground. The phenomenon of ki and the ability to sense it meant normally, if anyone at any time manipulated it via flight or through their limbs or mouth for an attack, it would be sensed. However this was not the case with the androids. All there was to suggest an energy attack was imminent was the flickering of light across whatever they were emitting the force of energy through: in this case it was Fourteen's palms.

"Dad!" Gohan screamed, rushing forwards with all the speed his body could muster. In one fell swoop the little hybrid warrior launched an assault of his own; Tenshinhan and Krillin not too far behind him in a bid to protect him and their own backs. Fourteen was thrown off his sturdy feet by the kick Gohan landed on his cheek; the energy he'd collected in his palms was thrown wayward, narrowly dodged by Krillin and Tenshinhan (whose hearts both skipped a beat when they realised just what was heading towards them!) and erupted as soon as it made contact with the snowy coating metres away!

The sky lit up with a terrifying purple light as a deafening roar shook them all. Gohan was tossed several hundred metres, striking and rolling across the icy coating until he came to a halt. Krillin and Tenshinhan weren't so fortunate, being much closer to the explosion. Both were swept off their feet, sent further than Gohan and both ended up colliding with a solid block of ice before finally slumping to a stop. The ice-wall had taken a beating from the shock of both men crashing against it; cracks quickly crawling across its face until finally it caved in under its own weight and large and small fragments of ice tumbled down around the two Human fighters.

Fourteen had been thrown several metres across the snow but his bulky weight had given him some anchorage.

Piccolo and Fifteen had been fairly distant from the explosion and both had ridden out the shockwaves of the attack, neither finding it too challenging to resist the push of the attack. What had been a large and thick coating of snow was now mostly the same, same for a large dome of grey rocky granite, cracked and gauged out into a crater. Against one of its jagged slopes lay Goku, saved from the majority of the blast's impact thanks to being thrown into the ground itself, although that in itself had caused a few injuries! Shaken and with sore limbs, he was rising to his feet, unsteady thanks to the terrain he now stood in. He too had noticed Cell approaching them at terrific speed and was biting his lip, straining his mind for the best plan forward. Not being able to sense these android's powers was problematic at best; the only way he could tell how he measured up to them was by challenging them and that was a risky choice at that!

His eyes fixated on something high above them. He'd assumed it was Piccolo but on closer inspection he'd been foolish to think it was. Someone was floating in the air, about fifty metres away from him and one-hundred above the ground. He sensed no energy coming from them. A bead of sweat slowly fell down his temple and passed the outer edge of his cheek, a wave of worry came over him as he realised just how much trouble he and his friends were now in. A deadly android bent on absorbing Seventeen and Eighteen was approaching them, yet two more strong and unknown androids they'd had no warning against... and now a third had arrived.

The warrior floated in mid-air, overlooking the vast white carpet sweeping over the uneven landscape. His power was undetectable; the RR insignia branded upon his cap and waist jacket signified he was likely another one of Dr Gero's android creations – or possibly a cyborg as Seventeen and Eighteen were deemed to be. His ice-blue eyes were barely visible under the brim of his cap, though they stared straight down towards the weakened Saiyan. There was a deep scowl across his face, a few hints of wrinkles setting in, accentuated by the frown he wore.

Goku rose to his feet fully and leapt off the uneven slope he stood upon, reaching more level ground albeit his boots sank a little into the snow. His defences were up immediately, something within him telling him this android would be the most problematic of the lot.

He hadn't been the only one to notice the new arrival. Fifteen had managed to throw Piccolo into the side of a mesa; his own tiny size and great evasion making it difficult for Piccolo to land many hits although they were effective when they did hit. The short android's attention was now on the taller man hovering about two-hundred metres away from him. Tiny numbers blipped and danced frantically across the visor of his glasses, the silhouette of the man highlighted as the numbers continued to change rapidly. Fifteen's frown deepened and he dug into his anorak pocket and took out his drinking flask, taking a swig of its contents before placing it back safely into his coat. "Thirteen." He muttered to himself.

Fourteen had also noticed the arrival of the slightly shorter man; he had since risen to his full height. As had become the expectation, he was an android of few words and did not speak at all despite the new appearance. He did know the identity of this man, just as Fifteen had.

'_This is bad,'_ Goku grimaced, his mind trying to find a new path forward. _'There's a third android; only Piccolo and I are likely to stand a chance against these guys. Gohan, Krillin and Tenshinhan are likely down for the count; Piccolo and I can't face these guys by ourselves! As if that's not bad enough...'_He glanced over his left shoulder back towards the south-west, _'... Cell's fast closing in on us!'_


	23. IoC Chapter 23

**Chapter 23 – The New Piccolo**

Piccolo broke free from his icy tomb, cracking his neck as he rose to his full height, towering easily over Android Fifteen. Without a word he removed the weighted cape, letting it fall to the ground with a heavy and audible crack against the ice at his feet. He took off his turban and dropped it at his side, cracking his neck a couple more times. "Ok, time to get serious."

Fifteen's attention was taken back to his current foe; the same outline that had silhouetted Thirteen's body in his glasses now surrounded Piccolo's body, numbers flickering and flashing across his eyesight. The realisation that those numbers were rising brought an alien feeling to the android, one he was not completely familiar with or comfortable with recognising. Piccolo's power had gone up a fair amount since removing his weighted clothing; the aura within his own body was also beginning to stir and swell, hinting to Fifteen that he had not seen all that Piccolo was capable of.

Dr Gero's data had been wrong.

With a terrific roar, Piccolo unleashed his ki, letting it swell and swell as he gathered more and more from deeper within him. The sudden increase had a dramatic effect upon the immediate surroundings as the snow was immediately expelled away from his footing revealing the icy ground below which was gradually cracking and crumbling under the pressure, shaking violently. The nearby mountains suddenly unleashed the looser clumps of snow that lay upon their faces, large and deadly avalanches suddenly erupting all over the place. The bright blue sky had darkened as the winds had picked up, clouds now dragged in from the north blocking out the sun's weak rays.

Goku stood with his hunches up, shielding himself from the terrific gales emitted from Piccolo's body as he powered up. The Saiyan warrior had no idea just how much power Piccolo had gained from fusing with Kami; the effect had been much greater than he'd realised and it had given him a terrific opportunity to conger up a plan to try and defeat these androids. Perhaps it was really time to consider stepping back...

Piccolo's expression was as serious as ever, only now it had the conviction of strength and capability behind it. Fifteen floated several metres from the Namekian, apparently disinterested as one hand reached back into the coat and pulled out the small silver flask. Fifteen removed the cap, took a small swig of its contents and twisted the cap back on again before placing the flask back into his inner coat pocket.

In a flash it was all finished.

Piccolo had dashed forwards, extended his arm out and grasped Fifteen by the collar of his coat, dragging the tiny android towards him as one foot swung upwards. The sheer force of Piccolo's kick making contact was overpowering, the mechanics Fifteen contained sprayed through the newly acquired hole in his back as Piccolo's foot rammed clean through the machine's equivalent of an abdomen. Fifteen's mechanical body was completely sliced in two; the lower half fell to the snow with a crispy thud. His upper half was still in Piccolo's grasp, the android not seeming to struggle even without the use of his legs. However, sparks were now flying from the lower half of his abdomen and what appeared to be oil was leaking at an alarming rate.

Piccolo tossed the android clean into the sky. With a roar and a sudden extension of his hand, he fired off a ki blast straight for the freefalling machine, destroying it in an instant. Fragments of burning metal, plastic and oil scattered and fell until it struck the icy ground, melting the immediate snow it made contact with it.

The display of power hadn't gone unnoticed by Goku or the two other androids present. Goku's belief had been reinforced. Piccolo was by far the strongest fighter they had currently, even stronger than Goku'd become despite his new increase in power from recovering. One android was now out of the picture; surely now the taller one would also stand no chance against this Namekian warrior. Fusing with Kami had not been an easy decision for Piccolo to have made, Goku was well aware of this fact. Piccolo had always detested his good-counterpart and would never in a million years have considered fusing together with him. The Saiyan was pleased he'd done it.

"Looks like Doctor Gero's calculations were wrong."

The voice had come from the mystery android that had just appeared. Bizarrely – or perhaps it wasn't really that bizarre – the android seemed indifferent to the destruction of one of its comrades. In fact a smile seemed to have settled upon his face.

"Piccolo's far stronger than Gero suggested... and the rest of you all seem to be stronger too." The android continued. "Still, you won't last long against me. Not even with that impressive display of power, Namekian."

Goku's attention hadn't been completely taken by the new android. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of grey; instinct kicked in and he leapt backwards, narrowly dodging Fourteen's incoming fist. Fourteen shot past him, his eyes still on the Saiyan warrior who evaded his punch. The android's bulk wasn't much of an issue for him to handle; one strong leg struck the ground, stilling his flight completely. With a flex of the mechanical muscles, Fourteen charged after Goku.

A set of energy attacks suddenly engulfed Fourteen, the explosion shaking the ground violently as the android vanished into the light and smoke.

Goku glanced up, surprised and relieved to see the culprit was one of theirs.

Trunks hovered several hundred metres above them, his Super Saiyan aura surrounding his body; both hands had been extended outwards, palms facing out.

Naturally Fourteen had more than enough endurance and strength to have survived the attack, reduced to one knee. He glanced back over his shoulder up at the boy from the future. A little confusion hit him once he realised he had little data on this boy or who he was, only that he was a Super Saiyan and had been the one responsible for defeating Freeza and King Cold three years prior. He was easily recognised as being in his Super Saiyan state, the transformation Goku and some of his friends were capable of utilising. It should prove little difficulty in handling, Fourteen concluded. He rose to his towering full height, eyes still glued to Trunks.

"Am I glad to see you," Goku called up to the teenage warrior from the future. "Good to see you're stronger than the last time we met, Trunks!"

"Likewise!" Trunks responded back, his voice echoing against the surrounding mountains. He made his descent to the ground, boots landing in the crisp snow. He was truly relieved to see that Goku had recovered from his heart virus; his mother's wish had been fulfilled. However, their current situation put a downer on this news. Three new androids he hadn't recognised. Even if one was thankfully dispatched of, he had little knowledge of the strength they were dealing with. Furthermore he too knew Cell was fast approaching. "How is it there are so many different androids in this timeline, yet mine only had Seventeen and Eighteen in it?" He muttered to himself, frustrated he didn't have the answers.

"Will there be any more flies arriving?" The mystery android's voice echoed across the snowy valley, he too descended although not to the ground. "I'm only here for one purpose: to kill Son Goku..." He turned to the grey-skinned giant of a machine and gave an undermining smile, "Fourteen, how about you clean up these two fools? I'll deal with Goku now."

Piccolo snorted, "Don't be so dismissive. Right now, Goku's not the one you should be worried about dealing with."

'_Piccolo's still got a fair bit of stamina left,'_ Goku noted, taking a quick notice of the Namekian's energy signal. He really had gotten a lot stronger since he'd fused with Kami. What's more, he was probably the one that needed to fight this foe right now. Goku's stamina hadn't quite recovered yet and he needed to replenish his strength! Everything was a mess right now; he couldn't fight to his full potential and doubted he could last much longer, especially if this new android was to be his foe. He'd gauged the amount of strength it would require to take down a foe like Fourteen, especially since Piccolo had dispatched of Fifteen. The issue was this new android's power wasn't certain; how much stronger or weaker would he be in comparison to Fourteen and Fifteen.

"Goku; Piccolo and I will take it from here," Trunks instructed. "You still need to spend a little more time getting back to normal. Mother suggested you might overexert yourself as soon as you got better. The antidote takes a little longer to work than you're giving it credit for!"

He wasn't exactly in a position to be denying orders but he didn't like the sounds of Trunks' plan. Furthermore he was concerned for everyone else's safety right now. Although Trunks was stronger than his last appearance three years ago, Goku was almost certain that he himself was stronger than Trunks, even as a Super Saiyan. "... Trunks, assist me with handling this big guy! Piccolo, you take on the one with the baseball cap!"

Piccolo smiled, pleased with the plan his comrade had come up with, especially since it had left a sour expression on the mystery android's face! "It'll be my pleasure!"

"Left to the weaker fighters? Me? Who does he think he is?!" The android sneered. "I am Android Thirteen, built to hunt down and dispose of Son Goku – not to be fobbed off my him and be told do deal with the weaklings of the wayside!"

Fourteen's sudden lunge almost caught everyone by surprise as he dashed once more towards his opponent; Goku raised his defences and Trunks charged up his ki in anticipation of battle. Yet it wasn't Fourteen that truly caught them off-guard. Piccolo spotted Thirteen's movements, barely able to keep up with the android's speed as he furiously dashed for Goku. "GOKU!" The Namekian cried, bolting down after the android.

Goku was launched to the side with a boot to the chin, Thirteen narrowly dashing past Trunks who now had Fourteen to deal with by himself! Thirteen chased Goku down, grabbing the stunned Saiyan by his ankle and tossing him in the opposite direction clean into the ground. Goku choked as the wind was knocked from his lungs, still trying to process what was going on! Instinct kicked in and he rolled to the side, narrowly dodging Thirteen's falling foot. Goku flipped and rose to his feet, this time ready for the ferocious onslaught Thirteen was dishing out. The android's power was higher from the feel of his punches against Goku's blocking limbs, his speed was greater too.

Trunks was having little difficulty in handling Fourteen by himself and was easily dodging his attacks, far too fast for the larger android to hit. Apparently speed was not one of Fourteen's strong points, or at least that's what Trunks thought. It baffled him still that there were so many androids running riot in this timeline. Furthermore, he couldn't work out how they'd survived his and Krillin's assault on Doctor Gero's lab! Had there been something they'd missed, or did Doctor Gero have more than one secret lab hiding his android creations? Whatever the reason, Trunks was just relieved to realise that this android didn't seem to be as strong or as fast as Seventeen and Eighteen had appeared.

Piccolo's hand suddenly appeared between Trunks' and Fourteen's faces as he grabbed hold of Fourteen's shoulder, jerking him off his feet; Piccolo cracking his knee into the android's chin. With one swift and smooth flick he booted the android clean into a nearby ice bluff, launching an assault of ki attacks upon the immediate area where Fourteen'd landed. "Trunks! Help Goku!" Piccolo snapped through the explosions of his detonating attacks. "I'll join you shortly!"

"R-Right!" Trunks nodded, impressed and a little unnerved by Piccolo's speed and ability. He hadn't seen the full extent of the Namekian's power before, not even when he and Krillin had gone to see his and Cell's battle. With little time to waste, the young warrior turned on his heels and diverted his attention to Goku and Thirteen, dashing across the snow to join his Saiyan comrade.

* * *

He was still closing in. Another ten minutes and he'd arrive at the battle zone, gobble up his androids and become what he was destined to become: the greatest living fighting machine that was ever to exist. He would become perfect. No one would be able to pose a threat against him.

Cell dashed through the fields and valleys, leaping from forest to forest as he travelled, not wanting to cause too much of a commotion and slip into the fight undetected, if that were possible! Now he was closer, he'd abandoned his flight in fear of being sensed approaching, though it was likely they'd already sensed him heading towards them. Let them be afraid, he thought. Let them feel the dread it was to feel when knowing he, Cell, was coming. He could sense their power levels radiating brightly, like light beams shining through a darkened room. Son Goku's power was starting to waver, as was Trunks' power level. Piccolo's had increased and seemed to be remaining level, although from what Cell could sense, Piccolo was using some sort of ki attack. Piccolo was the one who worried him the most. The Namekian had proven to be more than a match for Cell when the two had been acquainted; he was not the Piccolo Cell had been told of. With a power like his on this planet, it was possible Piccolo could be capable of destroying Seventeen and Eighteen. This did not bode well for Cell, so it was vital that he approach the battle with these androids and stop Piccolo from destroying his targets! They were his to absorb after all! He had to become perfect at all costs! No one was allowed to meddle in his plans or they would suffer for it!

Meddling. Now that he thought of it, Cell took a quick glance over his shoulder before snorting and resuming facing his direction of travel. _'So the girl is still following me... She won't make it in time to save them.'_ He mused.

Chiri was still so, so far away. In fact, she'd fallen behind Cell and would arrive at the scene twenty minutes after the terrifying android would!

It was beginning to dawn on her that it would be impossible to catch up to the murderous monster, no matter how much energy she put into her flight – even with him now rushing to the battle scene by foot. The senzu bag remained tightly gripped in one sweaty palm, flailing wildly as she cut through the air. The battle ahead was still very much alive and from what she could sense, Piccolo was incredible. Her father had taken a beating but was still very much alive, something of a relief to her. He'd just gotten over his illness, he couldn't suddenly be needing help again so soon! Her mother would be furious!

Chiri looked to the bag in her hand, reminding herself just how precious the beans inside the bag were and how vital it was she get them to her father and his friends. She couldn't stomach seeing anyone else go in the way that Yamcha'd gone. The mere reminder of the memory caused the heavily-cracked walls of her emotional barriers to collapse once more and tears began to roll down her cheeks, the uncontrollable hiccups making it harder for her to breathe and therefore making flying at this speed much more difficult. She almost wanted to stop and to not want to go to the danger zone. Her want to please everyone else and not let anyone else down kept her going.

She wanted to make Cell pay for what he'd done. How dare he murder one of her father's friends in the manner he had done! She may only have been a small child but Chiri understood just how traumatising that event she'd witnessed was and how much it would affect her. How dare he do that to her! What gave him the right to take life away? He was supposed to be another one of Gero's android creations – another one sent to kill her father.

None of these androids would kill him. Chiri wanted to do whatever she could to stop that from happening. She'd fight these monsters alongside her family and friends, even if it meant having to force herself to do things that scared her.

'_Piccolo's ki is still really strong... I hope that means he's winning,'_ Chiri gulped to herself.

* * *

The Namekian was all over the towering android. Another punch to the abdomen forced Fourteen from his feet as the machine shot through the air, colliding with the side of a rocky stack and landing upon the snow with a heavy thud. Piccolo dashed in after him and launched yet another powerful blow, pushing Fourteen through the stack and causing it to collapse around them. Fourteen shot clean from the other side, still going far too fast to avoid falling over the edge of an outcrop, dropping two hundred feet into a frozen lake below. Piccolo was unrelenting, following his foe down into the water. Although outwardly he showed the usual cunning and ferociousness he always had shown, inside he was growing restless. This other android seemed to be more defensive and more capable of enduring his attacks compared to the other android. Each and every second he spent fighting Fourteen, Trunks and Goku would be fighting this stronger android without his assistance. He had to end it quickly, especially with Goku still so vulnerable!

The duo of Super Saiyans were so far holding their own as a team against Thirteen, although it had become clear to them (or to Goku) that this android was superior to Fourteen and Fifteen. The Saiyan warrior even had suspicions mounting about the android and was almost certain he wasn't taking them seriously. He was pleased to have some assistance in Trunks but that Saiyan inside of him wanted to be able to face off against this foe alone. The battle was intense and exciting, even if he had little hint of being able to pull off a victory. It was only adding to the suspicions he'd held as soon as he'd recovered and been brought up to speed with all that was going on.

He had to get stronger and transcend the Super Saiyan state.

Thirteen's fist connected with Trunks' cheek, sending the teenage Super Saiyan flying back several feet. Trunks flipped head-over-heels and landed safely upon his feet, only to see Thirteen repeat the same action to Goku; Goku also landing safely. Both now stood a few metres apart and a few metres away from their smug-faced opponent.

"His speed and power is phenomenal," Goku smiled more to himself than to anyone else. "I'm not sure how Seventeen and Eighteen compare to this guy but he's great. This battle is really starting to get interesting."

"I don't know much about this Seventeen and Eighteen you're on about but I can assure you, I'm the best there is," Thirteen responded. "The two other androids are but a step back as far as Dr Gero's plans for revenge are concerned. Their power was dampened down as the doctor had more input in their designs. I was left to the supercomputer to be modified and adjusted where necessary... Not even someone as great as the Doctor can outwork the programming of his own computer..."

"I don't think you're all that you think you are," Trunks retorted. "Your kind has gone on long enough tormenting the people of my time. You don't even exist in the time I've come from! The people in this time won't suffer the same fate as those of my time - I'll make sure of that!"

Thirteen snorted and rolled his eyes. "You keep telling yourself that. Live in denial while you still can... I _am_ more than you think I am."

'_We're in a tight spot here, his power is overwhelming. My own hasn't recovered from that virus yet and I'm getting low on fuel,'_ Goku was scanning through the many plans that were coming to him, some sounding more realistic than others. Unfortunately, he couldn't quite figure out a way to escape from this new android without putting everyone else at risk. Piccolo was still fighting Fourteen, Trunks and Goku himself were stuck fending off Thirteen's attacks, Gohan, Krillin and Tenshinhan were all still unconscious from the explosion before... They had been dealt an unfair hand and now time was running out for Goku to put his plan into action. He needed to find an opening.

The ground suddenly erupted with a terrific shudder accompanied by a terrifyingly deafening roar. A towering column of icy water shot up four-hundred feet into the air, only appearing to be two-hundred feet high from where the two Super Saiyans and their android foe stood. Noticeable fragments started to fall at angles from the water spout, landing in a scattered pile all over the snowy bank, each landing with a heavy thud in the snow, sinking as it melted the compound back to water before the icy temperatures gripped hold of the burning metal and cooled it instantly.

Piccolo slowly ascended from the edge of the snowy cliff, that serious expression ever-present on his face. Without a word he levelled off and floated calmly towards Goku, Trunks and Thirteen, his eyes fixated on the latter.

"... Looks like you're on your own," Trunks smiled, recognising the several metallic parts now spread across the ground as being fragments of Fourteen's body. _'Piccolo really has become something strong... that fusion really paid off!'_

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Piccolo grumbled as his feet settled into the snow. His eyes flicked quickly over to Goku before returning back to the android. It would be better if they were discreet about this rather than letting their opponent hear their plans out in the open. He had to be cautious and not let his guard slip. _"Goku, can you hear me?"_

Outwardly Goku's expression did not change but he was a little surprised to hear Piccolo's voice suddenly invade his mind! _"Yeah, loud and clear. Piccolo, I'm not recovered enough yet. We need more time to get stronger if we're gonna fight foes on this guy's level. Do you think you can take him?"_

"_Why do I get the feeling that's a rhetorical question? What do you expect me to say when you of all people ask that question! I take it that means you don't think I stand a chance?"_ Piccolo snorted. _"I'll hold him off for as long as I can. He doesn't seem to be as strong as Seventeen so maybe I stand a much better chance against this guy than I do those other three androids. Take Vegeta, Trunks and Gohan and get your plan sorted out! We can't afford for any of you guys to die on us – especially since we have no Dragonballs right now!"_

Thirteen eyed up the three before him, unnerved by the sudden silence. They were planning something, communicating no doubt through one of Piccolo's abilities. Dr Gero's computer knew the Namekian was capable of some of the more unusual communicative methods such as telepathy and speaking Namekian. It would be unwise to stand and give them time to talk!

Goku was suddenly the target of the fast-moving android; his reflexes kicked in and he narrowly ducked under Thirteen's fist, suddenly finding himself pinned to the ground as Thirteen lashed out at rapid speed. Trunks was quick to intervene but was caught off-guard by a sudden boot to the chin; Thirteen was not letting his guard down and the Super Saiyan had been foolish to assume otherwise. Trunks shot several feet back before recovering, just in time to see Piccolo deal a terrifying crack to Thirteen's equivalent of his ribs. The android however did not budge, merely rotated through the air and extended one hand out towards Piccolo. Ki suddenly began to gather in his hand, Piccolo narrowly dodging the ki blast by the skin of his teeth and lashing out with one of his own. Thirteen dodged, Goku barely dodged! Piccolo's blast send the immediate area up in a blinding light as violent vibrations rocketed through the ground, deeper and deeper towards the core of the planet.

Up on a surrounding mountain ledge, another android was watching. The aftershock of the blast wasn't enough to throw him off his feet although the rocky face he stood upon was suffering for it.

Cell had arrived.

His arrival could not have come at a worse time, although the android creation couldn't tell just how many androids were being fought against and whether they would be the ones he was searching for. From where he stood, he could just make out the silhouettes of Piccolo, Goku and Trunks; an unknown fighter was amongst them. It was this unknown fighter that Cell held his gaze upon. A tall man with the Red Ribbon insignia imprinted upon his sleeveless jacket, light hair almost the same tone as the snow surrounding them... Something within Cell's psyche told him this was not the android he was looking for. Yet he was intrigued; there were other androids that he'd never been told about during his days of infancy?

His arrival couldn't have come at a worse time, nor had it gone unnoticed.

Goku's eyes settled upon that mountain about a quarter of a mile from them, eyes quickly falling upon the tiny dot perched about three-quarters of the way up the face. He'd never physically seen the monster but had heard about him in his dreams from conversations the others had held. It wasn't difficult to pick out the android's distinct ki signal and Goku could see how baffling it had been to everyone the first time they'd all sensed it. He could sense Vegeta, Freeza, Freeza's father, Piccolo – practically every living fighter seemed to somehow be radiating from that single being.

"Cell's here!" Trunks gasped, his eyesight also picking up the android perched off in the distance. "This might just be our chance!"

"What do you expect us to be able to do?" Goku responded wryly. "This other android is already too much for us."

"Surely you can come up with a plan to somehow stop both of them, right Goku?" Trunks suggested.

"Sorry," Goku sighed exasperated, a sad smile sitting upon his face. "I'm all out of energy. The only one of us who possibly stands a chance against Cell is Piccolo... and he's already got his hands full with Thirteen. There's no way he can handle both at the same time... There's only one way forward as far as I can see."

Trunks watched on without a word, his confidence in Goku shaken. His mother had told him how when things had always seemed impossible, Goku was always the one to pull them all through. This wasn't the Goku he was standing next to right now. This Goku was conceding defeat.


	24. IoC Chapter 24

**AN:** I would just like to make a quick note about the storyline I will now be following. At times it may seem I am heading back to rejoin the original story - I may not necessarily be doing that! They will share some similarities but the events will differ in their own way. Some differences will be minor, others major!

- LilDBZbuddy89

* * *

**Chapter 24 – Rescue Operation**

It wasn't far to go now, she was almost there. The small sack of senzu beans stayed tightly in her grip, Chiri not daring to let it out of her grasp. Everyone's energies were still relatively low, not even her father's ki seemed as strong and as vibrant as it had been before. She couldn't help but feel uneasy about the immediate future, namely what she was planning to do once she arrived! There was surely no way any android would happily sit by and wait for her to revive everyone, was there? Then again maybe they would! Krillin had been given permission to give everyone senzu beans once Seventeen and Eighteen had beaten up on them, perhaps these foes would be the same?

Chiri snorted baffled. She didn't understand how these androids' minds worked. She thought all bad guys were supposed to be mean, brutal killers like she'd been told by her mother... Had her mother lied to her and tried to scare her into not going off to fight with her brother and father? Chiri had a lot of questions buzzing around in her already saturated head, so much so that she almost collided with a fleeing bird as she passed over the barrier where farmland became mountain range! Panic swept over her as she narrowly dodged the screeching animal, her heart almost leaping free from her via her mouth!

"S-Sorry!" Chiri called after the flustered bird, suddenly embarrassed for having apologised to an animal that would not understand the meaning of the noises coming from her mouth! She had to calm herself down; she was becoming flustered and panicky and that would do her no good. Chiri mentally instructed herself to calm and take a deep breath, eyes focusing back on her destination. If she didn't get there in time, Cell would surely do to her family and friends what he'd done to Yamcha. She couldn't let that happen, the mere thought of losing everyone was too morbid and upsetting. She couldn't go through those feelings again. With that in mind, her determination was rejuvenated and she continued flying full-pelt towards the others.

* * *

Piccolo and Thirteen were both locked in a struggle, both grasping the other by the hands and trying to force the other backwards. Thirteen seemed to hold the upper hand, particularly as Piccolo was trying to multi-task and organise a fantastic retreat with Goku via telepathy! The Namekian was also aware that their worst concerns had been realised – Cell was also at the scene, observing them from a distance. Though it was fortunate these androids were not the ones he was searching for, if it came to having to fight him none of them would have a chance. His power had grown dramatically since the last Piccolo had fought him; Piccolo wasn't so sure the fight would be on such an even keel this time if it came down to it. There really was only one thing left to do; put Goku's original plan into action and get everyone to the Room of Spirit and Time to grow stronger. It was about this topic that he was conversing with the Saiyan whilst straining to keep Thirteen's feet firmly in their spot!

Goku and Trunks remained out of the fight for now, both taking notice of their surroundings and where the rest of their comrades were. Krillin, Tenshinhan and Gohan were all still buried underneath rubble after an earlier attack aimed for Goku backfired and instead caused an entire mountain-face to tumble down upon them all. Trunks was now cautiously making his way over towards Piccolo and Thirteen in an attempt to keep the android's attention away from Goku, who'd be collecting the others and transporting them to safety. Upon Piccolo's instruction, the safest place they could work out taking them was to Kami's Lookout. At least Korin would be ready and waiting with some senzu beans in his tower situated below the lookout itself.

Cell was still watching with interest, albeit his eyes were focused upon the tall frame of Android Thirteen. He didn't recognise the android but realised he was indeed one of Dr Gero's creations. His eyes scanned each and every contour and muscle, slowly the bio-creation came to realise that this was not Seventeen or Eighteen; his description fitted neither of the two androids from what the supercomputer had told him. _'Looks like Dr Gero was busier than the supercomputer gave him credit for... No matter. This android is of no use to me... Then again, perhaps he could give me some useful information...'_

Thirteen tossed Piccolo clean off his feet into the skies above, launching his lean bulk after the soaring Namekian and firing up several ki attacks. Piccolo was quick to retaliate and dodged all but one, slapping the last to the side with one clean swipe. Thirteen was suddenly inches from punching Piccolo clean in the nose, his fist far too close for Piccolo to dodge as the impact struck and pushed him further into the air. The android went to pursue, landing another several punches into Piccolo's abdomen before a sudden, powerful ki attack struck him in the back, burning the fibres of his waist jacket and leaving a gaping round hole. It was enough to make the android turn away from Piccolo, his cold icy eyes staring over towards Trunks, who'd gotten back into the fight.

"Trunks!" Piccolo barked as he flipped back upright and halted his movement. "Leave this to me!"

Thirteen's eyes were drifting once more, noticing Son Goku was still on the ground and moving at a fast pace towards one of the many piles of rubble from mountains that had once stood. His eyes widened as three life forms were detected amongst the rubble, realising what Goku was doing. Thirteen wasn't having any of this.

Two eye beams shot from the android and within a flash had struck the rubble now metres before the tiring Super Saiyan. Goku halted just in time as the rubble suddenly sprung up with life as it exploded upon the attack's strike. Chunks of snow and rock were tossed into the air as Thirteen continued to fire off random eye beams; even when Piccolo and Trunks launched their retaliation, the android was still overpowering them and able to continue striking that same area with every opportunity!

Goku wasn't to be deterred so easily. He bravely pushed onwards through the noise and volatile explosions, determined to reach his unconscious friends and get them all to safety. Amongst it all he could have sworn he saw an arm sticking out of a large pile of snow. Instinctively he dived forward as an attack struck the ground inches from his heels, shielding whoever it was from the shockwaves and rubble. On closer inspection, it seemed he'd found Krillin. Amidst the confusion he managed to pull his best friend clear from his snowy hold and continued his frantic search for the others, still keeping a constant eye on their energy signals in a bid to guide them to him.

Trunks and Piccolo were both growing increasingly restless in not being able to stop the android from continuously launching his attacks. Piccolo lashed out with several kicks and punches, all dodged by the swift-moving machine. Not even Trunks' help seemed to be providing them with any advantage! Thirteen seemed to be in a league of his own.

Finally, the break came through as a small foot made contact with the tall android's left ear, knocking him to the side and allowing Trunks to get a clean shot at him. The Super Saiyan clasped both hands together and slammed Thirteen towards the ground with all his remaining might. Quickly he and Piccolo were on the offensive, launching their own rapid-fire attacks towards the ground below.

"I got the senzu beans!" Chiri cried over the deafening roar.

"Get them to your father!" Piccolo barked.

Without another peep, Chiri turned on the spot and dashed down towards where her father was upon the ground, noticing another figure laying nearby to him. Krillin – and he seemed to be in a terrible state! Panic gripped her heart and Chiri upped her speed, almost colliding with the snowy ground as she landed inches from the two men. "Daddy! I have the senzu beans! I'll give them to Mr Krillin!"

"Good job Chiri, I'm glad to see those beans here!" Goku didn't turn to face his daughter, too busy with trying to dig Tenshinhan out from the snow that had cased him into the ground. At least that was something which would sort out his hunger problems, although Goku was now adamant that making a journey to the Room of Spirit and Time would be necessary. There was no other way he could see in being able to deal with all the threats currently surrounding them.

Chiri turned Krillin onto his side and groped around in the small bag attached to her belt, pulling out a small green senzu bean. Now that she had to administer a bean to someone else, Chiri suddenly felt a little uncomfortable having to feed an unconscious person! She was almost hesitant but the reminder of what had happened to Yamcha quickly overpowered this embarrassment and she slipped the bean into Krillin's mouth. "Mr Krillin, you gotta chew!" She instructed loudly.

"That's no good Chiri, you're gonna have to make him chew it for him," Goku responded.

"B-But I... I don't know how..." Chiri panicked, suddenly looking back and forth between her dad and the two other men still firing off attacks towards Thirteen – an android she did not recognise!

"Here, we'll trade over jobs then," Goku was quick-thinking and ushered over to his friend. "Dig out Tenshinhan and then try and locate your brother. They'll all need beans. Here, pass the senzu beans over."

Chiri did as she was told and handed over the senzu bag, crawling over to the taller fighter and shovelling the snow encasing him off to the side as best as she could. After a couple of seconds, she heard a startled grunt and heard movement against the crisp snow as Krillin sat himself up. A smile perked up inside of her but outwardly she wore a frown; Tenshinhan had taken a few injuries from the look of things and seemed to be shivering with the cold. Chiri hoped it was nothing too serious but her job suddenly became a lot easier when Krillin began to assist, Goku passing him a bean before heading off to find Gohan.

"Any idea of what's going on?" Krillin asked.

"I'm not sure I'm afraid," Chiri frowned with a shake of the head. "I only just got here..."

Piccolo and Trunks' attacks had not relented, their concentration set upon the android they were trying so desperately to keep confined to the ever deepening crevice in the icy sheet below. Their power was draining, Trunks' more-so than Piccolo despite being a Super Saiyan. The Namekian was by far the strongest fighter they had going but even he was not focused for what was to happen next. The slight feel of the air currents moving against his cheek took Piccolo's attention from the android; he turned his head to see Cell's foot slam clean into his face, knocking the Namekian warrior straight into Trunks who had no time to dodge! Both warriors suddenly plummeted and slammed hard into the snowy ground below, their onslaught effectively halted.

Cell sneered pleased with his successful intervention before he turned his attention towards the android now deep below the Earth's surface. He descended down into the crevice, quickly coming face-to-face with Thirteen, who was on his way back up to the surface. The appearance of an unknown and new fighter had caught the mechanical android by surprise and he halted inches before Cell, the numbers and calculations bleeping in his mind's eye as it identified the creature as living.

"I never expected to see one of Dr Gero's older models walking in this world," Cell hissed.

Thirteen's eyes narrowed; his computer projections had a negative on this creature's identity, although it was able to accurately calculate its ki level. The creature was roughly in league with Piccolo, perhaps just a little stronger though it was difficult to tell. What unnerved the android more than anything was how easily this creature identified Dr Gero and the fact that he was one of the doctor's great creations. What had he meant by his comment? There were too many unanswered questions but right now it wasn't high on Thirteen's agenda. His goal was still to destroy Goku; that was what he was going to do.

"I assume you have a model number," Cell continued. "I suspect you are one of the earlier teen creations... Tell me, do you know the locations of Seventeen and Eighteen?"

"What's it to you?" Thirteen muttered. "I don't know much about those two models other than they weren't worthy enough to be enhanced by Dr Gero's supercomputer."

Cell frowned. "So you don't know where they could be hiding? Pity. Seems I have no use for you then. You can go back to attempting to destroy these insects – in fact you'd be doing me a favour by getting rid of them. I'll miss the opportunity to prove myself to them but Seventeen and Eighteen are my primary objective."

"What? You think you can just leave?" Thirteen snorted, clenching his fists by his sides. "Sorry but after making a comment like that, I don't think I'm in the mood to let an insect like you leave."

"K-K-Krillin...!" Chiri was shivering from her spot about two-hundred metres from the fissure, still assisting Tenshinhan who was now sitting and rubbing his neck.

"How did Cell get here so fast?!" Krillin stammered, rising to his feet. He was reluctant to stand by and let an opportunity to destroy Cell slip away but he was also far too aware that there was nothing he could do against such a strong force. He could see Trunks and Piccolo from where they stood and was relieved to see them both getting to their feet. Quickly Piccolo had bolted towards the gaping hole in the snow, only for those facing its direction to suddenly find all sense of sight had vanished! Chiri gasped and flinched, grabbing at her eyes in agony. It felt as if they were on fire and she'd been staring straight at the sun without blinking, or something like that! All she could see was a burning white, even with her eyes closed and her hands covered over them!

"Not this again!" She heard Krillin curse.

Amidst all the confusion, Chiri was certain she felt Cell's ki rush straight past her before it completely vanished.

"He used my Tayo-Ken attack to escape us again!" Tenshinhan snapped through the blinding light; still none of them could see!

'_What's the Tayo-Ken attack and why do my eyes hurt this badly?!'_ Chiri gritted her teeth, certain that at this rate her high pain threshold was about to be put to the test; she wanted to rip her eyes out and replace them with new ones! "Why can't I see?"

"Wait... It's wearing off now," Krillin grunted, attempting to open his eyes and see the world around them once more. It was easier said than done considering they were in a very white area, making it difficult to distinguish whether they were still suffering the effects of the Fist-Of-The-Sun technique or whether they really were seeing the snow around them!

"Guys! Are you alright?"

Chiri's eyes snapped open, her hands fell as the sound of her brother's concerned voice reached their ears. There he was striding towards them; his clothes were ruffled and torn in places but his body showed no visible signs of injury. It was a bizarre feat to see but Chiri knew he must have taken a beating: she'd sensed his ki signal waver earlier on when he'd been caught in the explosion of Thirteen's attack and had feared he was gravely hurt. It was such a relief to see him well and on his feet. "G-Gohan!" She exclaimed, pushing herself forwards and rushing towards him to give her older brother the biggest hug she could muster! The strength in her clasp was more than the ten-year-old had been expecting and it almost pushed him off his feet backwards!

"Trunks!" Their father's voice was heard calling. The Saiyan had lost his Super Saiyan form and now stood surrounded by the small group. He had been facing the young Super Saiyan's direction but now turned his gaze to those close to him. "Listen, all of you: I'm only going to say this once. I'm taking Trunks and Gohan to get Vegeta but I'm gonna get the rest of you away from this area. Grab onto me when I give you the signal."

Chiri didn't quite understand why her father was doing what he was suggesting and it alarmed her to think they'd be leaving another android to roam around free to hurt other people! She released her brother and turned to see Thirteen rising from the crevice in the snow – he was heading straight for them!

Trunks reached them within an instant. At the same time, Piccolo had intervened and held the android back by the ankle. Thirteen suddenly lurched back as the Namekian yanked him from his flight, dragging him away from his friends with sheer determination for their chance not to be squandered. He'd already been evaded by one of Dr Gero's creations – he wouldn't lose sight of another one!

"Now!" Goku yelled.

Chiri latched back onto her brother, spotting he'd grabbed onto their father's hand as Krillin and Tenshinhan both placed their hands upon the Saiyan. In a flash the group's world spun and within the blink of an eye, Chiri was once again greeted by the feel of a salty breeze on her cheek and the calming lull of the ocean. The sea lay outstretched before them, the sand below her feet a welcome change from the snow that had slowly started to soak through her socks, the chill that had gripped her feet slowly ascending up her shins as if it were trying to freeze her into an ice statue! Already that feeling felt somewhat weakened as the humid and tropical climate surrounded her with a warm glow, its own heat dimmed by the fresh salty atmosphere.

They were back at Kame House.

"Wh-Wha?! Oh no!" She gasped, realising something terrible had happened. "Daddy, we forgot Mr Piccolo!"

"It's alright, Chiri. Piccolo will be fighting that android by himself. Don't worry, he'll pull through," Goku responded with a confidence in his voice and no sign of alarm on his features, though his daughter was not convinced, nor was she fooled. She had sensed the fight on her way towards the battle: Piccolo – although their strongest fighter – had slowly been losing his stamina. She couldn't help but question just how much of a chance the Namekian warrior really stood against this android, particularly as she hadn't seen his strength for herself, nor had she been able to sense it since he was an android! It was frustrating, she just wished she could sense both fighter's ki signals so she could be convinced in her mind whether Piccolo would win or not. Surely that would be better than this horribly tense and unpredictable outcome!

"Right, Gohan, Trunks, we'd better be going." Goku instructed. "The rest of you, stay here and track Cell. He's still the biggest problem we face and we can't afford for him to find Seventeen or Eighteen."

"Wait, what's your plan, Goku?" Krillin asked taking a step towards his old friend. "Why are you taking Gohan and Trunks off somewhere else? What's going on?"

"I was wondering the same thing," Gohan perked up.

Goku smiled warmly at his curious friends. "I plan to transcend the Super Saiyan state... and there's a place on Kami's Lookout where you can get a year's worth of training within a day. I plan to take myself, Gohan, Trunks and Vegeta to that place. I know one of us will be able to find a way and if we all can, then great! It's probably our best chance at being able to defeat Cell and all the other androids who show up!"

"A year's worth... in a day?" Tenshinhan repeated almost breathless with surprise and bewilderment.

"The longer we hang around there, the more time we give to Cell in tracking those androids down." Goku was impatient and itching to leave. "Hold on, you two!"

"Wh-What about me, Daddy? What should I do?" Chiri asked, suddenly feeling a little sad and apprehensive that her father and brother were leaving her.

"Help the others track down Cell, I'm counting on you to do your best," Goku smiled. With that, he, Trunks and Gohan vanished from everyone's sight, just in time to avoid being spotted by Master Roshi, Oolong and Chichi as the trio burst through the door.

"What are you all doing back? How did you get here so fast?!" Roshi exclaimed, practically coming to his own answer by the time the final few words had left his mouth. "Was that Goku just leaving?"

"Chiri! Oh I'm so glad to see you're safe!" Chichi beamed ecstatically, rushing over to her youngest child and grasping hold of her in a motherly warm embrace. "Goodness you're feeling cold! Where were you all? Why are your socks wet?"

"We got ambushed by androids on our search for Cell," Krillin began filling the ill-informed members of the group about the events that had occurred since they'd began their search in Yamcha's craft. He told them about the new androids that had blown up their airship, how they'd travelled to the snowy north and fought the two only to find a third unknown android existed, how Goku had felt he needed to go further than the limits of his Super Saiyan form, and how Cell had evaded them once again. Chiri was about to butt in at this point although she really did not want to tell the others the dreadful news regarding Yamcha, it was still playing on her mind and she had not been able to forget the trauma and terror she'd suffered just seeing it. Fortunately Krillin informed the others about their comrade's bravery and his ultimate fate, although he kept details to a minimum mostly because he wasn't sure on them himself.

"... So that's everything up until now," He finished. "Goku's taken Trunks and Gohan to collect Vegeta. They're all gonna train at Kami's Lookout. Piccolo was saying something with Goku about a room where you can get a year's worth of training in a day... It sounds like this could be our best chance but in the meantime, we have to keep an eye out on Cell's movements."

"That'll be easier said than done since he can hide his power level," Tenshinhan muttered.

"Well we'll just have to place our hope in luck and pray that we can find Cell before he finds Seventeen or Eighteen," Master Roshi grimaced. "I don't like this... all these new androids constantly appearing. What was a man like Gero thinking releasing such a horror on this planet..."

Chiri turned her eyes away from the aged teacher and up to her mother. "I'm gonna help Mr Krillin and Mr Tenshinhan find Cell. Mr Piccolo is still fighting, trying to beat that other android."

"Where do you even plan to begin hunting down these androids?" Chichi raised an eyebrow. "I thought none of you could sense androids."

This prompted a rather quiet and awkward silence from the fighters initially. It was at least half a minute before Krillin came out with a response and even then it wasn't the response of someone who could see a quick method out of this! "W-Well Cell will still attack towns and cities, right?"

"Yeah, I see what you mean," Tenshinhan nodded. "Cell will probably keep on absorbing people to gain more energy. I don't think he's strong enough to pose too much of a threat to Piccolo just yet... It's infuriating to admit it but Piccolo really is our only hope right now."

"Let's just keep our eyes on the television broadcasts and hope that Cell doesn't find Seventeen and Eighteen first," Krillin decided.

"We're gonna bet this all on probably?" Chichi snorted. "Do any of you really know what you're doing? I thought these androids were supposed to be the death of you all and yet you're gonna park yourselves in front of the TV _again_ and just wait for someone to appear?"

"That's all we can do for now," Roshi interrupted, suddenly feeling rather protective of the younger men beside him and understanding their frustration. Having to search for things you could not trace with ki signals was unnerving, even he did not know where to begin as far as searching went. At least with Cell they would have a clue where on the planet he was – although the insect-like android was able to hide his power just as easily as their own boys could. It was a tense situation they were all in and luck did not seem to be on their side right now. All they could do would be to wait and hope luck would soon turn to their favour.

This did not sit well with Chiri, who grunted and folded her arms. "We gotta wait? Why? We can sense Cell – let's go chase him some more! He'll be easier to find 'cause we can sense him!"

"It's not easy," Krillin responded. "You may have noticed if you had been in the craft with us instead of sleeping but detecting Cell was not getting us anywhere. As soon as he strikes a location, he vanishes before we can even sneak up on him in the craft! If we'd flown on our own steam, he'd have just vanished quicker! It doesn't matter what way we try to find Cell – he'll sense us and hide before we ever catch a glimpse of him!"

"It's not like sneaking around in the airship is an option for us anymore..." Tenshinhan muttered. "Those other two androids blew it up."

"Griping about our frustrations won't get us anywhere. Come on, let us get inside before Cell vanishes from the media's view," Master Roshi ushered everyone back into the small shack.

* * *

It had only been ten more minutes before Piccolo's ki began to diminish. As the others had escaped the icy grips of the snowy north, Piccolo had soldiered on and battled with the ferocious Android Thirteen. Things took a turn for the worse; an explosion rocked the surface of the planet and sent shockwaves through the centre back out to other areas of the planet. Sudden seismic activity struck many locations across the globe, prompting a mass panic and investigation. It soon became known that more than one earthquake had occurred and checks were done, soon confirming the tremors were felt across the globe within a two-minute segment. Speculation was rife, the media played up to the hype as usual... but there was one thing that surprised many viewers and delighted others.

"_Ladies and gentlemen – I can now confirm to you that the current World Martial Arts Champion has made a public speech about the recent events that have been happening across the globe!"_

Chiri's head jerked up suddenly, her vision blurred by the movement. She realised she could feel wet running down her jaw and wiped her face, using her other hand to wipe the sleep from her eyes. When had she fallen asleep – and could she have picked a less comfortable position to sleep in? (sitting upright, cross-legged with her head resting on her arms which sat resting on the table before the television). The words 'World Martial Arts Champion' had struck a chord in her somewhere, she knew she'd heard it somewhere before.

"... Piccolo's ki..."

Tenshinhan was perched in the corner of the room, his eyes focused out one of the windows as if he were staring at something of interest. Chiri knew there was nothing really out there that he could physically see, though she knew he was looking towards the north: towards Piccolo's battle.

His comment suddenly rang home and she leapt to her feet, practically thumping over towards the window and pulling herself up onto the windowsill with her hands. "Mr Piccolo's ki is really low! He can't die! He can't!" Panic and helplessness had set in and was now running rampant in her mind. There was no way she would possibly be able to cover the distance needed to save Piccolo in time but she was more than willing to give it a go!

"_Citizens of Earth. I – Mr Satan – your current World Martial Arts Champion, have become aware of a bizarre but horrific set of murders being carried out throughout several cities and towns of our continent. The nature of the attacks are still unknown – however, I will not stand by and let this – or these – monstrous individuals continue to wreak havoc on the millions that make up our population. Rest assured; Mr Satan will join the efforts of the police forces across the globe to bring the culprit – or culprits – to justice! We will not stand for such brutality!"_

Another drop in Piccolo's ki made it all the more difficult for Chiri to sit still and remain on the windowsill. It was too horrible to sense and she resented the ability! Not another one gone; there couldn't be another one gone just like that! Piccolo wasn't necessarily someone she'd call kind and caring but he had his moments. She knew how much he'd helped her inadvertently during her training for these very fights and she knew how much he meant to her older brother. If Piccolo were to die, she knew Gohan would be heart-broken and she couldn't stand to see her older brother like that!

A knock at the door was the last thing anyone had been expecting.

Both Tenshinhan and Chiri exchanged worried glances, neither sure of who it was on the other side. After a moment, Tenshinhan assumed the responsible adult and headed for the door. It was only now as Chiri watched the tall man stride across the room she noticed Krillin was sleeping under a blanket on a futon. She huffed quietly to herself, annoyed that no one had bothered to get her something more comfortable to sleep on! Eyes stayed pinned to Tenshinhan as he approached the door, opening it with caution.

Their blood ran cold as their bodies turned to stone.

"Hi," Seventeen sweetly greeted the two stunned fighters. "Can Goku come out to play?"


	25. IoC Chapter 25

**AN:** Sorry it's been 2 weeks since the last update. To all of you who are currently up-to-date with the story (this was posted 7th May 2013 so anyone reading this months after this, don't worry about this message!) I am falling out of my usual routine. Whereas before I would upload a new chapter every Monday, I doubt in the next couple of months I will be totally sticking to this plan. This is due to the demands of the course I am currently studying for, which I complete around the end of July. I won't say I'm going to stop uploading because as soon as I do, I'll have an urge to upload something! I can't promise you I'll upload a chapter every week so please be patient with me as I come to the end of my course. That takes priority over anything else right now.

Thank you for your continued support and patience!

- LilDBZbuddy89

* * *

**Chapter 25 – New Guardian**

Neither Tenshinhan nor Chiri knew how to react to the view before them. There on the other side of the opened door was Seventeen, smiling sweetly at them as if he were just a good friend to them. Behind him stood Eighteen and further back, the gigantic Sixteen seemed more preoccupied with looking out to sea.

The mere fact these androids were here was astounding and Tenshinhan couldn't quite work out if it was good or bad they had made themselves known to them! On the one hand this meant that Cell hadn't found them or absorbed them yet. On the other hand this meant that the small group here would have a hard time trying to stay alive. No one here could hold a candle to the power these androids were capable of; the ones that possibly did were either away training or were currently fighting someone else across the other side of the continent!

"Not much of a talker, are you?" Seventeen jerked the two inhabitants of the hut out of their trances, his voice ever calm and composed. "Is Goku here? We've come to destroy him."

"H-He's not here right now," Tenshinhan answered warily, trying to work out what the best plan would be. They had the androids here; surely now was their best chance to eliminate them and stop Cell from becoming complete? What was he saying, eliminate them? There was no chance of that happening, not today, not with the people available to fight. No one would last long against any of these androids and it was becoming more and more frustrating the more he had to admit it!

Seventeen's smile faded to a mere frown, he turned without any regard for the two opponents metres from him, "Sixteen, it would appear Goku isn't here either..."

Sixteen – the giant of the group – seemed far, far taller than Chiri recalled the last time she'd seen him! He was easily six times her own height and his stony facial features just added to the intimidation! Chiri wasn't sure whether it was purely his height, his hairstyle or the lifeless shine of his eyes that scared her the most! The android did not move from his position; he didn't appear to be functioning initially until it became clear he had searched for Goku's energy signal. "Goku is not here – he is far away to the north-west of here."

His words shocked both Tenshinhan and Chiri: this android could detect ki signals? That was bad news for them; all this time they'd just assumed it was only Cell who could sense ki signals. The other androids seemed to have been capable of energy detection too. It seemed bizarre to Tenshinhan. Going by logic, the higher the android number, the later they surely would have been built and so therefore the more-recently they'd been completed. Why was it the earlier numbers up to sixteen had been given the ability to detect energy when Seventeen and Eighteen hadn't? Then Dr Gero had suddenly gone back to giving his androids that ability. It didn't quite add up...

Chiri's mind was a mess with thoughts, she couldn't work out whether what she was about to do was wise or stupid. However her want to help and the urgent need to keep these androids here overrode her rational mind and she couldn't stop herself from blurting out. "I-I'm his daughter! I could fight you instead!"

She was almost certain the people opposing her were about to laugh. She'd wanted to sound confident and tough like her father did whenever he was about to fight a villain. However the sound of her voice couldn't have been further from that image of coolness and control. It had almost come out as a squeak with almost no space between any of the words, just a constant stream of sound. She'd almost slapped herself mentally for sounding so weak and afraid.

Seventeen seemed indifferent to the thought, or at least he made no facial expression to suggest otherwise. "Not interested. We're only interested in fighting your father."

With that, he led the other two towards the edge of the tiny island. Neither Tenshinhan nor Chiri dared make a move towards them although both knew they were letting a chance slip away. They watched in silence as Seventeen's feet left the sand, closely followed by Eighteen and Sixteen. All three androids rose higher and further from the island until they became nothing but tiny specs in the distance, soon lost from sight.

"... That was close..." Tenshinhan muttered after a while. "Sorry kid, there wasn't anything we could have done against them."

Chiri glanced down at her shoes, brow furrowing in the centre of her young face. "... We didn't even try to stop them..." She felt furious towards herself. The androids were right in front of them – this would have been the perfect time to have stopped them! They could have found a way to beat the androids to stop Cell from absorbing them! This had been their best opportunity and they blew it! How disappointed would her father be if and when he found out? Chiri couldn't bear showing her face in his presence; what a disappointment she would be to him and her brother...

A hand rested on her head, bringing her from her critical thoughts. "Come on," Tenshinhan encouraged, "We should get Krillin up and try to find Cell. Right now he's the biggest threat to us all but as long as he doesn't find the androids, we'll be fine."

Chiri was turning on the spot and heeding Tenshinhan's advice when once again there was a sudden drop in Piccolo's ki. The drop sent shivers down both warrior's spines.

Piccolo was in a critical condition. What was going on far up north?

* * *

It had been over an hour since the rest of the gang had vanished and Piccolo had fought a valiant battle. Thirteen had proven to be a worthy foe and one who could cause him a lot of grief if given the right opportunity. Unfortunately for Piccolo, the android was very good at making these opportunities. The biggest shock had come when Thirteen had revealed his greatest power to the Namekian: absorption. Not the same type as Cell's method of absorbing people by using some sort of appendage, this one was different. It was also specific to certain android creations rather than biological matter.

Fourteen and Fifteen's bodies had both been destroyed during their battles with the others. Unfortunately there were two specific mechanisms that made up their complex physiology that could be assimilated into Thirteen's make-up. The android had wasted no time in using this to his advantage and had taken the four individual pieces of mechanics into his body using an almost telekinetic power. That had then been the start of Piccolo's nightmare and the worst part of it was none of his friends would have a clue about Thirteen's sudden surge in power. Thirteen's power in his previous form had the potential to be comparable to Eighteen and Seventeen from what Piccolo had guessed – and this had been based on his limited battle experience with the two androids. Of course that battle had quickly ended in him being rendered useless and there was no guarantee Eighteen and Seventeen had been using their full potential. However this new form was in a league of its own; Piccolo was certain that not even a creature like Cell could last long against a machine this powerful.

Outclassed and with his stamina waning, Piccolo had been tossed to the ground once more, pile-driving through the rocky ground with such force it caused the shaken mountains – their make-up already weakened by the many previous collisions and explosions – to crumble finally and collapse in upon themselves. Thirteen was high above, charging up an energy attack powerful enough to level the surrounding twenty-five mile radius. With a toss of both hands he threw the attack towards the ground. It struck within seconds and detonated, reducing the entire area to nothing but a mass of heat and deafening destruction.

As the winds slowly died down and the normal levels of light slowly returned, he kept his eyes firmly upon the spot he'd seen his foe. The ground was now completely unrecognisable; a gigantic crater with a radius of five miles across now sat carved into the rocky ground, the snow completely melted away leaving a dim granite-like rock in its wake. Somewhere down below Piccolo lay in a critical state, no doubt covered by the debris and rubble that had been stirred by the explosion. Thirteen's bulky form descended a little closer to ground-level, his eyes scanning the area for signs of life. He knew Piccolo was still alive, he had deliberately wanted to drag the torture out in order to install the fear Piccolo's allies should feel in regards to him – especially since he was now in his final form. He was to be the only android they should truly fear as he was the only android fully capable of realising Dr Gero's dream. None of the other, later androids could possibly compare, not even the bizarre bug-like creature who'd shown his ugly face would now stand a chance against him.

A few moments more passed until Thirteen halted his movement. The frown on his face deepened and a scowl slowly crept across his dark-blue features. Piccolo was nowhere to be detected. Was he already eliminated or... Had that quick blip been something other than a minor error?

* * *

Piccolo's eyes slowly opened to see the blurry shapes of three people staring down upon him. His power had returned and all his injuries seemed to have been non-existent. Of course. He rose to a sitting position, supported by a cheerful Gohan who was happy to see his former mentor was alive and well. His father's intervention had come just in time.

"That was a close one," Goku chirped as the Namekian rose to his full height, the Saiyan taking a step back alongside Mr Popo. "He really slugged you!"

"What happened down there, Mr Piccolo?" Gohan asked. "He seemed to suddenly do a lot of damage to you!"

Piccolo remained silent for a while. What had happened indeed? There were only supposed to be two androids set out to destroy them all and yet the information they'd been provided with could not have been more wrong. Yes the androids that were due to eventually appear did eventually appear, yet they were far superior in power. Why? Then there was the other android accompanying them. Dr Gero and Nineteen had also appeared before them – why was the number and order of androids appearing in the present time so different compared to the time Trunks had come back from? Was it really all down to Cell's time travelling interfering with the natural process of things? Had his appearance been the only cause of all these differences in time? Perhaps Trunks' journey into the past had also had an effect? He had fought Freeza and his father after all – Cell had mentioned Gero had taken samples from both those two during their brief spell on Earth.

"... He's a lot stronger than we ever imagined he would be," Piccolo answered finally. "I doubt a Super Saiyan would even stand a chance against his power..."

Goku took Piccolo's words in. He trusted Piccolo and valued his opinion on the matter highly. To think there were so many foes who were capable of giving them so much trouble all at the same time... It brought a smile to his face which in turn both alarmed and confused Piccolo, Gohan and Mr Popo.

"We'll just have to hope we can get stronger," Goku spoke before any of them could question him. "Vegeta and Trunks will come out of the Room of Spirit and Time far stronger than before. I'll bet you they'll both have transcended the Super Saiyan... We've just gotta be patient and hope for the best."

"What do we do in the meantime, Dad?" Gohan asked. "I've been meaning to ask – since Piccolo fused with Kami, doesn't that mean Earth doesn't have any Dragonballs? How will we bring back everyone who's been killed?"

"I've been meaning to focus on that," Goku turned to Piccolo. "Is there no way that you and Kami can de-fuse again? I have the feeling something bad could really happen with all these androids running around down on Earth. If we do find a way to defeat them all, we're gonna need the Dragonballs to restore the Earth to the way it was before all of this happened."

Piccolo's frown deepened. "It's impossible. Once The original Kami and Piccolo Junior fused together, there was no going back. That was why both were so hesitant to do it in the first place. We cannot unfuse ourselves. The Dragonballs will remain obsolete unless I create a new set of them myself..."

"That is a possibility I suppose... but perhaps there is a better method of getting the Dragonballs back," Goku smiled. "Maybe if I can go to Namek, one of them will want to become the new guardian of Earth?"

The suggestion stunned Piccolo, Gohan and Mr Popo, although the latter seemed pleased about having some company on the lookout.

"Have you really thought this one through?" Piccolo questioned. "We don't know where the Namekians went once they left Earth. Would you even know where to search for them? It could take years!"

"Not necessarily," Goku pointed out. "All I have to do is detect a power level that feels similar to yours, right? Plus I may not know whereabouts they've gone to but I bet I know someone who does! All I have to do is to travel to Kaio's planet – I'm sure he'll know where the Namekians are!"

No one present seemed to have any qualms with the Saiyan's plan, so Goku quickly set off to find his planet a new Namekian guardian. The journey initially hit a few snags, with Kaio being completely clueless about the events taking place down on Earth! Quickly Goku managed to locate the new home of the Namekians and transported himself to them. As if luck would have it, the Namekian people had seemed to live as a single settlement upon their new home – the planet looked more-or-less like their old home as far as Goku could see, and the Saiyan was amazed at first to see just how many of them looked practically identical to Piccolo! Mori, the recently-made Namekian Elder approached him, quickly recognising him as the Saiyan warrior who'd fought Freeza on their dying planet and had wished for all of those returned to life to be moved to Earth for their own safety. Goku explained the situation to the Elder, who quickly nominated a young Namekian boy to become the Earth's new guardian: Dende. The Namekian child was around Gohan's age and had a history with Goku's son and his best friend, Krillin, after the trio constantly worked together to gather the Namekian Dragonballs and stop Vegeta or Freeza from getting their wish. Mori promised Goku that Dende was a great prodigy of the Dragon Clan – the Namekian clan responsible for creating the Dragonballs and other powers such as healing abilities. With that, Goku took the new elder under his wing and transported him back to Earth, where he was greeted by Gohan with enthusiasm.

"So can you really create Dragonballs, Dende?" Gohan excitedly asked, still overjoyed to see his friend after so long apart.

"Yes," Dende nodded with enthusiasm, "I should be able to create an entirely new set of Dragonballs in one-hundred days."

"One-hundred days?" Goku repeated anxiously, "Really, that long?"

Dende could sense the concern and disbelief in Goku's voice and tried to find another solution to their problem. Fortunately it didn't take long. "... I could revive the current set of Dragonballs that have turned to stone if you still have the designs for them?"

"Yes, that will be possible," Piccolo nodded. "What about wishes?"

"Good thinking, Mr Piccolo," Gohan beamed. "Dende, would we be able to get three wishes like the Dragonballs on Namek?"

"I could make them that way if you wish," Dende responded.

"What about the power of the wishes," Piccolo interjected. "Raising the number of wishes able to be granted could weaken the power of each wish. Remember that the ones on Namek could only revive one person back to life at a time – we can't afford to have the same limitations."

"... I can make sure that you can bring back as many people as you need to," Dende suggested, "That would mean that you could only make two wishes though."

"Is that all it takes?" Goku asked impressed. "I'm glad we've still got Piccolo around to help us with this Dragonball-making business! Two wishes should be fine; we do have a lot of people to wish back to life so it would be better that way."

"Mr Popo, collect the effigy." Piccolo instructed.

Mr Popo vanished into the palace in search of the statuette of Shenron, soon returning with it. The tiny statue was an exact replica of Shenron and was encased in a glass lid and metal plate. Dende took the precious figurine and placed it down upon the floor before himself, "What an interesting design..."

"I made it myself," Mr Popo smiled as he stepped back. All eyes now settled on the young Namekian as he extended his hands out in front of him at a low angle, both palms facing towards the statuette. A small glow began to surround his body as Dende began to speak in his Namekian tongue, no one other than Piccolo and Mr Popo had any clue of what the words he spoke meant. As he chanted, the statue began to shine; a tall beam of light suddenly shot forth and up into the air, arcing around and breaking up into seven smaller flashes of light, each heading down back to Earth. The natural lighting soon returned as each little flash of light vanished into the atmosphere, travelling to its respectful Dragonball.

The process was complete.

"There, the Dragonballs should now be restored," Dende smiled, lowering his hands back down to his sides.

"That was quick!" Goku blinked with amazement.

"Should we start collecting them now, Father?" Gohan asked.

"No, for you and me right now, our current worry is waiting to get into the Room of Spirit and Time to get some training done," Goku responded. "We'll get someone to search for the Dragonballs but not just yet... Right now it's not safe for any of us to be looking for them."

"Not safe?" Piccolo could barely believe the words had come from his former adversary's mouth!

"No way, there's so many androids running around that are more than enough for any of us," Goku scratched the back of his neck. "We could search but if we end up accidentally finding any of those androids... chances are they'd do us in and possibly destroy any Dragonballs we'd have on us! It'd be better to wait – until at least Vegeta and Trunks finish their training. I know they'll have surpassed the Super Saiyan state by the time they get out – then we can make plans for Dragonball-collecting!"

"Alright..." Gohan responded quietly, a feeling of concern slowly crept over him and he hung his head. He couldn't help but feel they weren't doing enough to help those innocent people down below. It was frustrating standing upon the lookout, perfectly safe from harm whilst the millions below them were subjected to death and destruction at the hands of an evil, deceased scientist's wishes. Those androids were far too dangerous to be left to run around and do as they please... He had to get stronger. He couldn't bear the thought of everyone suffering because of his weakness. He wanted his mother and little sister to live in a world different from the one Trunks had come from. What lives had they led? What hardships had they been forced to endure? Had they both survived in Trunks' time? _'I wonder how they're doing down there...'_ He pondered, eyes inadvertently diverting down towards the tiles below his feet, as if he had some capability to see through them and watch over his other family members from way up high.

* * *

"... ke up... Chiri... Geez, she's a pretty heavy sleeper!"

"Chiri, breakfast."

Chiri's eyes shot open and she bolted up to a sitting position. Her head spun as her blood rushed around her body and her vision blurred as her body attempted to recover from her stillness to her sudden quick movement! Supporting herself with one hand resting behind her keeping her sitting, she used the other to massage the tense muscles in her forehead and squinted through the bright light coming through the window in front of her. It took a moment before she recalled why she'd sprung up so quickly and her eyes turned to her mother, who was sitting with a smug expression on her face.

"Told you that'd wake her up!" Chichi smiled triumphantly. "She's just like her father when it comes to her appetite!"

"Hey, we'll get some breakfast and then make a move," Krillin was standing beside her looking as chipper as could be considering the situation they were in.

Chiri nodded, then gasped as she recalled the previous day's events. "Krillin, did Tenshinhan tell you what happened?"

"The androids popped their heads in the door, I know," Krillin nodded. "We've been talking through it whilst you've been resting. We figured the androids came here because they must have known this was a place Goku used to hang out a lot as a kid. They knew where he lived too... We figured Gero gave them information based on places they're likely to find your dad."

"Are there any other places you think they'll look for him?" Chichi asked worried. "I hope they haven't made a mess of my house!"

"We came up with a couple of other places," Krillin nodded grimly. "My concern is that people will be in danger of being hurt... The two main places we came up with were Capsule Corp and Korin Tower."

"Oh no!" Chiri gasped horrified, rising to her feet. "That's where Mrs Bulma lives, isn't it? She has a baby! They have to get outta there!"

"We've already called Bulma to warn her and her parents," Krillin reassured her, although he didn't seem too pleased which only made both Chiri and Chichi worry about the following sentence. "She's pretty sure she can do something if those androids do show their faces there... although I'm not sure what she's planning to do! She was pretty skimpy on the details but she was pretty sure she had everything under control."

"It sounds irresponsible to me," Chichi frowned feeling rather judgemental but also concerned, not only for her friend's safety but for the danger little Trunks was now being put in as a result of his mother's judgement. "Bulma's reckless at times when it comes to dangerous situations but I never thought she'd put her son at risk like this."

"Well that's what we said to her but she was adamant they'd be fine," Krillin responded with a small shrug of the shoulders, turning his attention back on Chiri. "Come on, we need to get you breakfasted so we can go. At any rate we need to warn Goku that those androids are coming for him."

"Ok," Chiri nodded, following the bald fighter down the stairs. "... Mr Krillin, how long have I been asleep for? Has anything bad happened on the TV?"

Krillin did not answer immediately, frowning to himself as he thought over the things that had happened. She'd been asleep for a good ten hours, no doubt due to another tense day full of adventures and life-threatening danger on her part. The poor child had even witnessed one of their comrades be killed right before her very eyes, murdered by their biggest foe yet. Cell had continued to cause havoc across the towns and cities, gradually heading south-west across the vast landscape. Their concerns were that he was also heading towards West City but at his current pace, he'd take another couple of days to get there as he sapped the lives out of hundreds of thousands of more innocent, defenceless people. Krillin hated how powerless they all felt as of now, knowing that the fate of the planet did not rest in his hands. There was little he could do to alter the events taking place. It was up to their alien comrades and their offspring. In this fight, nothing other than a Super Saiyan or a fused Namekian fighter could get the job done – and even these warriors who had those prerequisites seemed to be struggling! He didn't remember ever feeling this hopeless before, not since the battles on Namek all those years prior. Was his role really just to sit back and hope that one of the other fighters would somehow pull them all through? Was he now playing the part of the spectator and not the active hero, able to make a difference? Was the difference in power really that great now?

"Krillin," Chiri repeated more assertively. "More bad stuff happened, didn't it?"

"... Cell's still absorbing people," Krillin answered as they reached the bottom of the stairs, passing into the living room where Master Roshi, Oolong and Tenshinhan all had their eyes on the television screen, no doubt keeping up-to-date with the latest newsflashes about Cell's whereabouts and his trail of destruction. "He hasn't found the androids yet but he's still our biggest threat. There's been no news about the other androids, not even about Thirteen. We're not sure what his motives are right now other than to find your father..."

Chiri frowned disheartened as she followed Krillin into the kitchen. She leant against the cabinets as he grabbed her a bowl and pulled a box of cereal out, pouring its contents into the bowl and filling it to the brim. "... Your mother made some sushi if you want some. All we've got right now is cereal and bread and some leftovers. Eat as much as you can. We'll need our strength for today."

Chiri pushed herself off the counter without saying a word and opened the fridge, selecting a dish packed to the brim with sushi rolls (they looked like her mother had made them, so she assumed they were for her!), grabbing the milk and pouring a small amount into a glass. With that, she took her drink and cereal over to the small table situated in front of the television and placed them down, returning to collect her sushi. Her eyes stayed on the television screen as a female reporter was currently discussing the mysterious disappearances with some bizarre-looking man. Chiri thought he looked like a clown with his wild curly hair and his moustache and stubbly chin. He seemed to have a deep voice too, spouting off something about defeating this monster in the name of Humankind. Chiri sniffed and rolled her eyes as she threw one of her mother's sushi rolls into her mouth. The man didn't have much of a power level to speak of and she was in no mood to be optimistic about him being able to suppress energy or being capable of the actions he spoke.

Nothing short of a miracle could save them all now. Not even her father or Piccolo was strong enough. Now they were off somewhere supposedly getting stronger while she was left to look after her mother and chase a monster she had no chance of ever defeating? Why had he done this to them? Why had her father condoned them to this life of misery and heartache? Why had he left her behind? He'd promised he'd make her work hard but now it seemed to have dawned on Chiri that in reality, her father only believed in her brother. He had no real use for her anymore.

"We'll head out once Chiri's eaten," Krillin spoke breaking the silence.

"Right," Tenshinhan nodded, seeming to know what Krillin was referring to. "They should still be at the lookout. I just hope that those androids take their time trying to find him like they have been over the past couple of days."

"Let's just hope that is where they are headed," Master Roshi muttered. "I just hope we won't be too late to stop them."


	26. IoC Chapter 26

**Chapter 26 – Gather the Dragonballs**

The flight over the sea took what felt like forever to Chiri; she found herself trailing behind Tenshinhan and Krillin who were leading her in a north-western direction. It was a while before they reached the coast and even then, they spent a further hour and a half skimming its rim, following it westbound until finally it curved away to the north, leaving them to travel out over the vast ocean once again. All the way there – wherever there was, Chiri couldn't remember – she kept silent, not making conversation with either man. Her thoughts were elsewhere, still brooding over how she felt abandoned by her father. He hadn't taken her to train. He'd promised he would train her on the condition she would work her hardest. She'd promised she would: she wanted to get stronger. So why had he left without her? Why had he only taken Gohan and Trunks with him?

"We're almost there!" Krillin's voice barely passed her ears over the howl of the winds rushing past them. The horizon before them was beginning to look bumpy and uneven, suggesting they were nearing the coastline once more.

"Where's there?" Chiri called over the rush of the wind but no one answered. She sunk back into her metaphorical shell and continued to dwell in her disappointment and sorrow. Was she really that weak? Did he not see any potential in her at all? Or was he trying to shield her from all the danger? What good would that do? She wanted to be out there with her dad and her brother, protecting other people rather than being protected herself. She could do something, she knew she could! Why did he not see it?

The coast soon passed below them, sandy beaches quickly replaced by vast, sweeping deserts which twisted and turned until it turned to greenery, then forests. Before they knew it, Korin Tower had appeared before them. Having been on auto-pilot the entire journey as her thoughts had practically absorbed her, Chiri only became aware of her surroundings as the two guys leading her began to fly vertically rather than horizontally! Chiri's eyes passed over the tall form of the tower, instantly she was brought back to yesterday. She'd been here not so long ago. Yamcha had been here too as they'd come to collect senzu beans to heal his wound... Chiri shuddered as the wall she'd built began to crack; that brave fighter had died here yesterday. She'd been powerless to stop it, powerless to do anything to Cell.

She had to get stronger! Why was her dad letting her willingness to grow go to waste?

The top of the tower quickly vanished from view, Krillin barely catching a glimpse of Yajirobe and Korin as they passed them by, now flying towards the lookout. Neither he nor Tenshinhan expected to see what awaited them. The trio emerged from the bottom of the lookout and ascended higher into the atmosphere before descending and landing in the middle of the lookout. Krillin glanced around, sensing there were people inside of the palace as no one was currently outside waiting for them.

"With luck their training will have paid off," Tenshinhan muttered.

"Strange, I can't sense Vegeta or Trunks anywhere... I'm not so sure if that's a good or bad thing," Krillin noted.

"Krillin!" Krillin and Tenshinhan turned to see Gohan emerging from the lookout looking pleased and surprised to see them. "Krillin, guess who's here!"

Neither Krillin nor Tenshinhan had time to ask what he was talking about before the young Namekian boy made himself present, appearing from the palace entrance looking just as cheerful as Gohan.

"Dende!" Krillin gasped with disbelief. "What are you doing here?! Did all the Namekians move back to Earth or something?"

Chiri hadn't been paying much attention up until now, seeing a small green boy out of the corner of her eye. She didn't recognise him but figured he was probably a Namekian since he looked like a miniature Piccolo! Who was he and why was he here? Was he Kami? That couldn't be him: she thought Kami had fused with Piccolo... or something like that. She felt she was missing out on something here. Another thing she was being singled out from.

The little Namekian seemed pleased to see Krillin and informed him, Tenshinhan and Chiri about his new role as guardian of Earth. Both adults – particularly Krillin – were thrilled to find out that Dende had also rejuvenated their set of Dragonballs. Chiri had no idea how such a thing was possible but she was pleased to know there could be a way to bring back Yamcha and all those other people who'd been hurt. Now all that remained was finding a way to beat all those bad guys roaming around below them. Her standing around and waiting wasn't going to make her stronger.

"Daddy, when are you gonna make me stronger too?" She inquired, butting into the small conversation occurring between the adults. All sets of eyes fell upon her; Chiri didn't particularly like being the centre of attention but right now she felt she needed to be. She had to address the troubling thoughts in her mind to ease the fears that her father had changed his mind about her.

"Couldn't Chiri come into the Room of Spirit and Time with us, Father?" Gohan suggested.

"Well... It's only built for two people in mind," Goku was hesitant to answer. He could see a flicker in his daughter's face; it was subtle but he'd grown a keen eye for spotting it over the years. He'd usually see it in his offspring's mother. There was always a subtle glimmer of anger bubbling away under that initial calm exterior and it would rise to the surface whenever she grew angry. It normally showed itself whenever Goku was trying to persuade her to let him train the children, or take them away from something she considered important. Chichi's temper was fiery and she could become physically violent if provoked the wrong way, it was a rare occurrence but it existed. Goku could handle Chichi at her worst, he knew to let the fury run its course and then console whatever remained of her once it was out of her system. He wasn't entirely sure yet how to handle it in his daughter and he had the feeling he was about to have to experiment.

He had no intention of taking Chiri into the room with Gohan. No, he needed to focus his full attention upon his son's power and harness it. Gohan was an incredible powerhouse when provoked enough; he was also older and had far more experience in battle. He'd practically grown up with the feel of threat constantly around him and had been in more than his fair share of dangerous, deadly battles. He was only ten but he had been moulded by the fight, he knew how to prioritise and when push came to shove, his heart and mind tended to be in the right place. It was a trait that Goku himself wasn't sure he'd inherited from him but it was valuable. Gohan would be an excellent fighter and was an excellent fighter for his age. That wasn't to say Chiri was pale in comparison; her childhood had been different from Gohan's. The only battle she'd ever been involved in was short-lived; she did not fully understand the feelings of loss and fear of dying. She was only just coming to grips with it. Goku couldn't push her further by getting her to train under the extreme circumstances the Room of Spirit and Time would put them all under.

"I can share a bed with Gohan, we've done that before," Chiri was quick off the mark.

Goku felt as if he were a mouse being cornered by a cat which was about ready to deal the killing blow. He was quickly running out of ideas to keep his youngest happy and knew this would not end well. Yet by some miracle, it was Krillin who saved him. "Before we get ourselves into a family spat, you should know that Seventeen, Eighteen and Sixteen made an appearance yesterday."

"They what?" Piccolo stammered.

"They somehow found Kame House – we think Gero may have given them some of the locations you regularly visit," Tenshinhan explained. "Anyway, they left as soon as they found out you weren't there and headed off in a north-west direction. Our worry is that they're either making their way to Capsule Corp in West City or they're coming here."

"If they head to West City, Bulma, baby Trunks and the whole city will be in real trouble!" Gohan exclaimed with concern. "Father, we have to do something!"

"Don't worry," Goku responded calmly, "No one in West City is going to be hurt." He turned to Piccolo, who silently nodded. "You guys are right; chances are they'll either go to West City and look for me there, or they'll come heading in this direction. Piccolo: take Krillin and Chiri over to Capsule Corp. Vegeta and Trunks aren't due out of the Room of Spirit and Time for another three hours so you're probably our best chance of saving the people of West City. Chiri and Krillin, follow Piccolo to Capsule Corp. We may as well start collecting the Dragonballs; that will be your primary job. Get the radar from Bulma and go from there."

"What about us, Dad?" Gohan asked.

"We'll stay here with Tenshinhan. If the androids come for Korin Tower or the lookout, we'll just have to do our best." Goku instructed. "If things get bad, we can always interrupt Trunks and Vegeta's training. I'm sure if it does come down to it, those two should be more than strong enough by now to stand a chance against them."

And so Chiri found herself once again on the move, this time in the presence of Krillin and Piccolo. The trio headed mainly east across the ever-changing continent, eventually passing over the coastline. The sea seemed calm and tranquil from way up in the sky, yet Chiri paid little attention to the sight her eyes focused on. She was once more deep in thought, stewing over how events had unfolded. Not only had her dad refused to agree to take her into that special room, he'd avoided the subject as soon as he could! Chiri sighed remorsefully; it looked like it was going to be up to her and her alone to make sure she grew stronger. Why didn't her dad want to train her? Did he not like her as much as Gohan? She didn't understand it and it was highly distressing for her, especially at her age. On the other hand, at least he'd given her a role to play, even if it wasn't one revolving around battle. It felt good to know that she could help to bring those killed back to life with her own hands. Plus she'd grown quite fond of Krillin and his company and would much preferred him assisting over some of the other, angrier-looking friends of her father!

The trio soon arrived on the outskirts of West City. Chiri had very vague recollections of being here before but wasn't sure whether she was getting mixed up with some other city such as East City! Either way, she was completely blown back by the sheer number of buildings and ki signals she could feel below as she was led towards a large yellow dome-shaped building. Despite their distance from their apparent destination, she could easily make out the word 'capsule' written across the building and quickly concluded that this building was where they were heading for. This was Miss Bulma' home: Capsule Corp.

Piccolo and Krillin descended at the same time, Chiri hot on their heels. The three landed outside the main entrance on the lawn, Chiri scanning their immediate surroundings. It was a very spacious place compared to how tightly packed a lot of the other buildings were. There were a few smaller buildings inside the perimeter wall but none really grabbed her interest. Instead, her eyes fell before her and she silently followed the two warriors through the entrance doors of the main building. Her eyes quickly darted around as she took in the chic room, admiring the large fish tank opposite them and to their left. As Krillin began talking to the receptionist (Piccolo remaining outside of the building for some reason), Chiri wandered over to this large tank, watching as a small silvery fish fluttered about the tank, circling some fake coral before becoming lost within the greenery at the bottom. There seemed to be a couple dozen fish, all with plenty of room to swim without squashing up. Chiri rested her hands upon the glass frame and pressed her nose to the glass, watching closely as one fish broke from the school and came over to investigate, its beady eyes looking directly at the young girl before it soon lost interest and swam to the right. Chiri felt she could stay here forever, just watching the fish swim around calmly in their beautifully decorated, spacious tank...

"Piccolo, what are your plans for now?" Krillin asked as he poked his head around the entrance to the building. He'd just received the go-ahead from the receptionist that it was ok to enter since they were friends of Bulma Brief and Miss Brief had authorised them to enter. The receptionist had handed over a couple of visitor passes to the short fighter – three in all – and had instructed them to wear them since they would need identification.

"... I'm going to remain here," Piccolo slowly answered, not making any attempt to make eye contact with Krillin as he seemed to be mulling over his decision. "If the androids do decide to come here looking for Goku, the people of West City shouldn't be in any real danger if I'm here to protect them."

Krillin nodded silently, still falling head over heels with how Piccolo's personality had changed since his fusion with Kami. It would take some time getting used to him talking about protecting the people not so long ago he set out to destroy. "Wanna come in?"

"No, I'd prefer to stay out here."

"Suit yourself, but if you change your mind I know Bulma and her family won't mind," Krillin turned and passed one of the visitor passes back up to the receptionist. "One of our party wishes to remain outside the building. He won't cause you any hassle."

The receptionist nodded, not fully comprehending what Krillin was saying and a little baffled by their friend's choice to stay outside the building. Nevertheless she took the pass and continued on with her work, keeping one eye on the two visitors. Krillin was headed over towards Chiri who still seemed mesmerised by the fish tank. The receptionist looked up again, watching the two as Krillin approached the young girl. She couldn't help but notice how much they seemed to be dressed for a fight; she could have sworn those were dojo uniforms. Now she thought about it, she was sure she'd seen the short gentleman here before a few years ago...

"Hey you," Krillin prodded Chiri on the back of her head with one finger, jolting the child from her mesmerised state. "Put this pass around your neck and follow me. We've gotta go find Bulma."

"What is this?" Chiri asked as she took the pass from Krillin, examining it carefully.

"It's a pass to say we're allowed to be walking through the building," Krillin explained. "We have to wear these so that if anyone who works here sees us, they'll know we haven't broken into the building and that we've signed in at the reception lobby here."

Chiri observed the small pass a little more before putting her head through the wide band, letting the pass hang from her neck. She suddenly felt quite important having this piece of vital information and smiled triumphantly, "I guess we're really important people to have these on, huh Krillin!"

"S-Sure, why not," Krillin snorted. "I think Bulma's still in the lab. If we're lucky, I should remember which way to go!"

Unfortunately Krillin's memory was not as reliable as he'd hoped and the two spent the next ten or fifteen minutes – or maybe it was two hours, Chiri wasn't sure – looking around for the entrance to the laboratories. Eventually a member of staff found them and directed them to a map, indicating that Miss Brief was working on the upper floors of the labs, fixing up some sort of gadget in her own private lab room. Rumours had always spread about this particular room designated only for the heiress to the Capsule Corporation empire and about what would go on behind those closed doors. Only she and her father had access to that room, leading many to believe that confidential papers and plans had been kept in that room. Naturally this had lead to some rogue employees attempting to break into this room – many rival companies had sent in spies to infiltrate the company and spill its secrets in order to gain a competitive edge. Unfortunately for them, no one had made it past the immense security measures set up around this particular room to spill any secrets to their competitors! No one knew what had happened to those who'd tried to break in, none had been seen since their futile attempts. Rumours were powerful things and many employees heeded the somewhat bizarre stories and kept themselves away from the feared lab room, not wanting to be the next employee to meet a mysterious and supposedly unpleasant end...

Krillin had no knowledge of such rumours and was perplexed by the many worried looks given to he and Chiri as they continued their way down the many corridors to said lab room. Chiri followed on auto-pilot, far too busy looking around at the many sets of doors leading off into separate rooms. She was so engulfed in her observations that she nearly walked into Krillin as he stopped before the door! The short fighter gave a small tap on the door, "Bulma, you in there?"

"Come on in!" A muffled voice came from the other side of the door. Within a couple of seconds, the door itself slid sideways into the wall, startling Chiri as she'd never seen a door move in such a way before! The room was larger than it appeared outside, almost looking like a storage cupboard before they'd entered! Chiri's eyes wandered even more across this new environment, noting how observant she'd been today. There was no natural lighting coming through and the room held a bluish glow to it from the machines and Bulma's computer monitor. As they stepped in, Chiri felt the carpet suddenly become smoother, realising the tiled flooring was reflecting the shapes and contours of all the objects within the room. Bulma had been sat at a small work-desk, a set of spanners and screws and metal parts scattered across it. The blue-haired woman was wandering back to her seat after letting the two visitors in via the keypad lock upon the wall; upon reaching her chair she sat herself back down and leaned back into her chair. "So what can I do for you guys? You wouldn't believe how hard I've been working to help you guys out! I've got something to show you!"

Chiri frowned, noticing the dark circles under the beautiful woman's eyes: had she slept at all since those androids first appeared a couple of days ago? If Chiri'd done the same thing, she'd have gotten a large telling-off from her mother, not to mention be banned from going outside and be forced to spend all day doing more work than usual. It was a horrible but effective punishment and Chiri dared not pull a stunt like this. Miss Bulma was lucky not to be punished for being naughty and not sleeping!

"Can it wait?" Krillin asked, quickly putting his hands up defensively when Bulma shot him a cold look. "S-Sorry Bulma but we're in a real hurry. Long story short, we've got a new set of Dragonballs because Dende – that little Namekian boy we befriended when we visited Namek – became the new guardian. Now Chiri and I are here to collect the Dragonball radar from you so we can gather the Dragonballs."

"Wow, Dende became the new guardian? I didn't realise he could even do that!" Bulma gasped with amazement and surprise. "How did you even get him to agree to this – and since when could he even create Dragonballs? I don't really understand this, there're so many unanswered questions!" She rose from her seat and strode across the room to a smaller, bare desk. Pulling open one of the drawers to the left, she retrieved a small gadget Chiri didn't recognise, or at least she didn't think she did! Bulma passed the gadget over to Krillin's waiting hands, the fighter very eager to take it from her.

"Thanks Bulma, I wish we could stay to explain it to you but time's really tight," Krillin smiled. "I'm sorry to say I've got some pretty jarring news for you too. You might want to get in contact with the local police force or something because there's a good chance the androids could come here. They're still looking for Goku and they seem to know the locations of where he usually hangs around and where we all live. They came to Kame House yesterday searching for him."

"Is everyone there alright?" Bulma asked nervously. "What happened? Are Trunks and Vegeta ok?"

"Everyone is ok," Chiri perked up, feeling a little anxious after being reminded about her close brush with stupidity. She'd made the bizarre request of fighting those androids in her father's place and what had they done? Chiri should really have been thankful they decided not to take her up on her offer, she was sure she wouldn't be standing in this large building if they'd thought otherwise...

"Trunks and Vegeta are with Goku and Gohan training at Kami's Lookout," Krillin explained, still eager to leave as soon as they could. "Tenshinhan's with them. Piccolo's here too but he's keeping an eye on outside. If the androids do come here, he'll be the one to fight them. We think they'll either come here or go to Korin Tower looking for him."

"You should leave here," Chiri added with a tone of concern. "You have to get yourself and everyone who works here out of this city. If the androids do come here then they'll all get hurt."

"... How long do you reckon it'd take them to get here if they left Kame House yesterday?" Bulma asked nervously. "I hope they don't get here too quickly... You guys really should go. I've got something that needs a little tweaking but if I manage to complete it before the androids show up and blow us all up, I might just have a little surprise for them!"

Neither Krillin nor Chiri fully understood what Bulma was referring to but Krillin was in too much of a rush to ask. With the radar in their possession, he bid the heiress farewell, adding that she should leave while she still could, to which Bulma reiterated she'd come to no harm providing she could finish her latest project! This left both Krillin and Chiri wondering what it was she was making that made her feel so sure she could do anything against these terrifying foes. Nevertheless finding the exit was a lot quicker thanks to the signs leading them towards it! (Apparently a lot of new employees would get themselves lost looking for it so Dr Brief had put signs up – or so said one employee!) They passed their visitor badges back to the receptionist who bid them a safe journey.

Piccolo still stood leaning against the outer wall of the building. Sensing the two leave the large complex, he left his spot and ventured over towards them. "I assume you were successful?"

"Yep," Krillin nodded. "Got the radar. You sure you wanna stay here and miss out on the fun of Dragonball-hunting?" He wasn't expecting an answer and didn't get one other than a narrowing of the eyes from Piccolo! Ignoring him, Krillin turned to Chiri: "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," Chiri nodded eagerly, suddenly feeling more excited about this search than earlier. Whether it was because she would be doing something proactive or because she'd never gone Dragonball hunting before, she wasn't sure! There was something about the prospect of finding these balls which made her feel she was useful, even if her original desire had been to assist in the fighting.

With that, the two short warriors flared up their auras and bolted from the ground up into the air. Krillin held the radar in his hand and pressed the small button on the top, switching the little gadget on. Immediately several dots began to flash upon the screen, all scattered across the landscape and seas of the world. Krillin sighed with relief when he noticed all the balls seemed to thankfully be on some sort of landmass and not under water. That would make their search a lot easier. Focusing on the closest ball to their current location, he turned he and Chiri northbound.

"So how does that thing work?" Chiri asked, eyes fixated on the small and peculiar device Krillin had gotten from Bulma.

"Well these dots on here are Dragonballs," Krillin showed the inquisitive child the screen and pointed to one of the seven dots still blinking on the display. "The Dragonballs give off a distinctive energy source and this radar picks it up. It'd be nearly impossible to find them without this so we really do owe Bulma a lot of credit for making this!"

"Really? Miss Bulma's really lucky to be so smart and really pretty too," Chiri mused more to herself than to Krillin. "How long do you think it will take us to find the Dragonballs?"

"Hopefully not too long," Krillin responded, although he had his concerns. _'With any luck we'll be able to stay away from the androids and from Cell! That Android Thirteen may be stronger than Seventeen and Eighteen and I don't want to think about how powerful Cell probably now is! His power jumped up dramatically when he took Yamcha's life... as morbid and horrible as it sounds, I'm glad it wasn't Piccolo or any of the Saiyans otherwise I dread to think of what might happen...'_ His eyes shifted over to Chiri, who was now staring ahead concentrating on their flight. _'Poor kid, I wonder what seeing such a horrible thing has done to her... It's gotta have at least scarred her. Gohan wasn't exactly willing to fight when he started seeing everyone be killed around us against the Saiyans but he gave it a shot. Chiri seems to have reacted differently. She doesn't seem scared or fearful like her brother did, she seems almost calm as if nothing of the sort could have happened... but it's gotta show itself. Maybe not now but it will, soon.'_

The duo continued their flight across the continent, leaving the vast and crowded West City over the horizon.


	27. IoC Chapter 27

**Chapter 27 – The Fall of a Great Warrior**

It hadn't been any more or any less than an hour since Krillin and Chiri had vanished over the horizon. Piccolo remained in the same place as when they'd left: leaning up against the outer wall of the large Capsule Corp building, arms folded and showing indifference to the hustle and bustle of the city he was currently in. He ignored the stares of Capsule Corp employees as they left and entered the huge complex, he ignored the irate drivers sounding their horns in frustration as the traffic built, he ignored the chatter of those around him. His only concern was tracking down Cell. The crafty android creation was still nowhere to be found, it was infuriating that he too had the capability to hide his ki signal, something Piccolo and his allies had taken advantage of for years. To have it used against them was jarring and unnerving. They'd never know when he'd attack until it would be too late.

He remained indifferent to everything around him... until a bright yellow truck pulled up outside the perimeter gate: Piccolo's eyes opened as he felt a shiver run through his body. Something panicked him about this truck and he wasn't kept waiting long. The driver door opened and a pair of jean-clad legs swung out from the door, blue sneakers setting down upon the pavement as dark hair was brushed out from his face. Piccolo's eyes widened and his heart lurched into his throat as Seventeen exited the car, his own icy eyes almost spotting Piccolo immediately.

A smile emerged across his face.

"Where are we?" Eighteen's voice was audible: apparently she had been sat in the passenger seat and was currently around the other side of the van. The sound of a door sliding open was quickly followed by the towering Android Sixteen's head being clearly visible over the roof of the truck – which wasn't exactly small to begin with!

"West City, or to be more precise, Capsule Corporation," The tall android responded. "... Son Goku is not here."

"How do you know he's not here? You said that the last time we finally arrived at one of his friend's homes," Eighteen grumbled. "Seventeen, Sixteen clearly has the capability of sensing ki signals: why are we still carting around in these toys guessing where Goku might be? Sixteen can locate him."

"You're such a buzz-kill Eighteen; where's the fun in just sensing him out? This way lets us travel around the continent," Seventeen responded. "When we do find him, it'll be much more satisfying to do it this way. Besides, we're in no rush."

"You may not be in a rush but I'm in desperate need of a new wardrobe," Eighteen rolled her eyes.

It was at this point Piccolo had slowly ascended and descended over the perimeter gate, catching the three androids' full attention. He did not look amused, nor was he amused in any way with their apparent lack of concern for his presence. A foolish error on their part, especially since only one of them was capable of sensing his power had increased since the last time they met.

"It's you," Seventeen was indeed indifferent to Piccolo's presence, though he did at least acknowledge he was there with a smile! "We're looking for Son Goku. Maybe you can help us out a little. Tell me, where is Goku?"

"Not here," Eighteen folded her arms and muttered under her breath.

"He's not here," Piccolo responded. "You seem to be having trouble finding him. I might be able to help you out."

"Thanks but no thanks, this game is a lot more fun without any help," Seventeen politely refused; Piccolo's brow furrowed. He had to keep these androids distracted. At any rate, he didn't want to chance Cell finding them and absorbing them and gaining far too great an advantage over them. Even if Trunks and Vegeta were soon due to be out of the Room of Spirit and Time, Piccolo did not like taking the chance of letting Cell grow stronger and potentially far more powerful than any of them. Defeating the androids and destroying them now would currently be the best way of preventing this, especially since they were currently standing in front of him! This was too good an opportunity to miss!

"Seventeen, just take the help!" Eighteen scolded her twin. "This game of yours is dragging on. We have other places to go."

"Fine, fine," Seventeen sighed, "You sure are grouchy today, Eighteen. It was only a bit of fun; if you're not careful you might blow a fuse..." He then turned his attention back to Piccolo. "Go on then, tell us where Goku is. Apparently my sister has lost her sense of fun."

Piccolo smiled, "You think I'll tell you just like that?"

Seventeen took a while to smile back, cottoning onto what the Namekian was potentially after. "I suspect that I may have to beat it out of you."

"You'd suspect correctly," Piccolo nodded, a small grimace of confidence emerging across his face which cause a chuckle to stir in Seventeen's throat. "We'd be better off fighting off somewhere uninhabited. Follow me." With that he ascended up into the air.

Seventeen snorted and rolled his eyes, "They just don't learn..." With that he followed the Namekian warrior up into the air, headed in the same direction. The dark-haired boy was followed by his twin sister and their giant of a comrade. Quickly the four vanished from the West City skyline...

* * *

Two Dragonballs down, five to go. That was how far Chiri and Krillin had gotten before they sensed Piccolo's power begin to rise, causing both of them to temporarily halt their flight and stare off into the direction they sensed it coming from.

"He's gotta be fighting the androids," Krillin quickly concluded. "Now if only we knew which one - or ones!"

"Mr Krillin, we're not too far from the third Dragonball now," Chiri noted. "It's just a little more over this way, I think!"

Krillin nodded and continued to follow Chiri – who was now in charge of keeping the Dragonball radar safe. It bothered him that Piccolo was once more fighting an opponent that could easily wipe the floor with the rest of them and it was frustrating to know he himself could do little to help. What alarmed him more was Chiri's indifference to Piccolo fighting. At any other instance anyone had been battling, Chiri had shown concern and willingness to assist, or at least she had every time Krillin had been around her and such an event had occurred! Was it related to seeing Yamcha's death: had her witnessing a friend be killed numbed her? She was only a child, still developing emotionally and now she was having to come to terms with loss and seeing cold-blooded murder. Battle wasn't good for any child's emotional wellbeing let alone any adult's wellbeing! Was it becoming unreasonable to ask her to continue to take part in it? Perhaps he should continue searching for the Dragonballs on his own and send Chiri back to her mother?

"... Do you think Mr Piccolo will be ok?" Chiri asked worried.

The question sent waves of relief through Krillin; there it was, the sense of normality. What had he been thinking, assuming such things? Perhaps she wasn't as scarred and traumatised as he'd thought.

"Hopefully," Krillin responded with a warm smile. "Piccolo's our strongest fighter at the moment – and soon Vegeta and Trunks, plus your brother and dad, will all be far stronger than these androids! They'll work together to find a way to win." He dared not add on how much he still struggled to trust Vegeta as he didn't want to concern Chiri further! "Piccolo should be fine."

If only he could truly believe this himself.

The duo quickly found the third Dragonball hidden down the bottom of a well in a deserted village hidden in the mountains of the west; the landscape itself was now desolate and it had clearly been months since the well had completely dried up. The barren surroundings had brought the mud huts to ruins, none with any sign of a roof and with fragments of wall fading away as the mud had cracked from the lack of hydration. The icy air was uncomfortable against the skin and Krillin found himself once more wishing he had a coat with him. The same could not be said for Chiri, who was the one to volunteer heading down the well to collect the Dragonball. Quickly she located it settled amongst a small mound of weed and mould, plucking it from its sludgy hold she returned back to the top of the well and passed the ball to Krillin.

"We really should have brought a bag with us or something," Krillin mused as he stuffed the third ball down his shirt. "I don't think this is the safest place to be storing these!"

"Your shirt is bigger than mine," Chiri responded, taking the radar out from her own shirt, the languard around it currently settled against the back of her neck. She pressed the switch upon the top to zoom out and quickly found the next nearest Dragonball. "Look, it's right over to the right... What direction is that from here?"

"South-east," Krillin scoffed with a shake of his head, "How would I know? As long as we start heading towards it, everything will be fine!"

The light mood suddenly fell, engulfed by the heavy feeling of dread and danger. Both fighters were suddenly on edge as they felt Piccolo's ki begin to fall slightly. Neither knew why it had fallen, neither knew how his opponent was faring against him.

"... Mr Piccolo will be ok, won't he Mr Krillin?" Chiri asked anxiously.

Krillin didn't smile at first; he didn't see any use in trying to pull the wool over the young child's eyes but his compassion won him over and so with a heavy heart, he pulled the wool down, revealing a confident and somewhat cheesy smile. "Piccolo will be fine." Was it cruelty or protectiveness that made him lie to her? He didn't believe for a second that Piccolo would be as fine as he was suggesting and he wasn't sure how much Chiri was hanging to his word. What did he know: he couldn't tell what was going on since only one fighter's ki could be detected. He didn't know whether Piccolo was holding his own or on the run. All he could rely on was sensing the Namekian's ki and hoping that there was some truth to his lies.

By the time Krillin and Chiri had found the fourth Dragonball (and stopped by in a nearby town to buy a rucksack for the Dragonballs to be stored in!), Piccolo had begun to take more of a beating. His ki was still slowly declining but declining it was. The mood was tense, neither Krillin nor Chiri spoke as they began their search for the fifth Dragonball and their search was cut abruptly short when they noticed another ki heading in Piccolo's direction. The stench and tainted feel of that ki sent alarm bells ringing in both fighters' minds and Krillin had half a mind to abandon their original plan and attempt a futile mission to save Piccolo! At any rate this was the worst-case scenario. Piccolo was fighting an android – if that android happened to be Seventeen or Eighteen then Cell would be heading straight towards his targets! If it was Thirteen then there wasn't anything to worry about and yet Krillin found himself shivering at the thought of a weakening Piccolo having to fight off both Thirteen and Cell. It was suicide.

He wasn't the only one jumping about trying to make an important decision. Chiri too knew how high the stakes were and was terrified for Piccolo's wellbeing. He wasn't the fatherly figure toward her in the way he was to Gohan but Chiri still cared and respected him for the great mentor and fantastic fighter he was. Chiri'd spent a great deal of her training life sparring in Piccolo's presence, sometimes sparring with him, so to lose him now would still be like losing family. She couldn't stand the thought of someone else being killed by this monster!

"Can we go help, Mr Krillin?" She found the words slipping off her tongue.

Krillin watched grimly over towards the west. "... Even if we did, I doubt we'd be able to make it in time to make a difference... We'll just have to hope your father intervenes if things get too much for Piccolo."

Chiri nodded, disappointed in his answer. She didn't wish to admit there was truth in him saying they'd arrive too late, she did not want to believe there'd be nothing she could do to help Piccolo stay alive. It wasn't fair, things weren't supposed to be like this! They were the good guys and good guys always won in the end! That's what all those stories her mother and brother had told her had said; the bad guys always met justice or died or changed their ways. The impact of those actions had never really hit Chiri until now. Death had suddenly become a very real thing and it was entirely possible that all those around her would be taken permanently from her. She'd been naive before thinking saving the planet would be easy just because her dad and Piccolo were really strong. They'd been nothing compared to Seventeen and Eighteen and now, despite fusing with Kami and becoming far greater than he'd ever been, Piccolo was once again losing the battle. Good was losing.

"The fifth Dragonball is to the south," Krillin had removed the radar from around Chiri's neck and placed it back around his own. "Come on, we can't lose focus."

* * *

Piccolo was panting heavily, shaken and drained from that last attack. Opposing him with around twenty feet of space between them, Seventeen looked ruffled and damaged but wasn't breathing nearly as hard as Piccolo. What had he been thinking? Apparently his strength still wasn't enough to face these androids one-on-one. Piccolo was sure he could potentially defeat Eighteen with his current power and was certain he was now more-or-less equal to Seventeen's strength. The problem was related to stamina, or rather, Seventeen and Eighteen's unlimited supply of it. Piccolo was an organic being and he tired, his stamina taking a beating with every new attack he unleashed. Meanwhile Seventeen was using up energy but still had enough reserves to keep himself going.

This was quickly becoming a losing battle for the Namekian and worst still, he couldn't see any sign of the androids relinquishing their desires to find Goku. Seventeen had seemed surprised to see Piccolo had improved somewhat since their last encounter but now that Piccolo's stamina was failing him, the android seemed to be more comfortable as he was now in control.

So consumed in his battle, Piccolo had completely neglected to sense Cell's ki fast approaching.

"Our strength seems to be equal..." Seventeen spoke, wiping the loose drool from his chin. "... But in terms of stamina, yours is falling. I have infinite energy."

He was right and he knew it. _'Darn it,'_ Piccolo cursed, _'I was sure I would have been more effective than this against the androids. Now what?'_

The alarm bells started to ring. The sound of footsteps tapping against the ground caught his acute sense of hearing and he glanced over his shoulder, shivers running through his body as his eyes settled on the tall bug-like monster approaching from the west.

Cell had arrived.

Judging by the looks upon their faces, none of the androids seemed to recognise or even comprehend that Cell was one of them. They seemed indifferent to his presence. Piccolo deemed it foolish but understandable: Cell was a creature from the future who'd travelled back in time in order to absorb Seventeen and Eighteen. It was only natural these two would have no clue about him, yet it was imperative they quickly understood his goal and sensed the danger he posed to them.

"The day has finally come..." Cell hissed with a gleeful yet determined smile, "... the day I join with Seventeen and Eighteen and become complete!" He leapt from the boulder he stood upon down to their level, landing quite gracefully. Then, clenching his fists and shortening his stance a little, Cell's ki began to swell. Piccolo almost felt the breath leave his lungs as the sudden stench and tainted ki became even more poisonous and sickening; it felt as if every individual person he'd cruelly absorbed were screaming out in agony and protest for being given no choice but to be a part of this monster's energy source. He could even sense Yamcha's spirit within him screaming to be allowed to be free from limbo and to walk amongst the dead. It left Piccolo with a sense of pure horror and a knotted feeling he couldn't quite get rid of.

At last Cell ceased his power-up and approached his true targets who still remained just as clueless as before. He passed Piccolo without even a passing glance, the Namekian too stunned to initially act upon the urgency of the situation. Still he managed to sum up enough courage to speak just as Cell passed him by. "... How many victims did you kill to get all that power?" He asked with a tremble in his voice, immediately scolding himself for showing any sign of weakness towards this monster. Whatever the power hierarchy had been before, now it should have changed. Cell was likely the most powerful fighter on the planet now, possibly even greater than that mysterious Android Thirteen...

"Victims?" Cell repeated as if the word were foreign to him, "They should feel honoured I chose them to become a part of me, even the weakling Yamcha now serves a greater purpose getting to be able to add to my impressive and unrivalled power!"

"I don't know what you are but get lost," Seventeen barked. "You rub me up the wrong way; I'm trying to have some fun here."

No, this couldn't happen! Piccolo refused to let these ignorant androids be caught off-guard and become part of Cell! "Seventeen! He's planning to kill and absorb you! Run!"

The announcement seemed to catch all three androids by surprise but Piccolo's words seemed ineffective at deterring them from sticking around. Immediately Cell leapt to the offensive, almost catching Seventeen by surprise as he threw his tail forward like an extra limb, the lean, slick android almost being struck down! Cell quickly took the advantage as he grabbed Seventeen by the wrist, tossing the android into the ground and keeping him pinned, his tail hovering above him as if ready to stab straight into his chest.

Piccolo's instincts had shaken him from his paralysis and he charged in, kicking Cell clean from the ground and several metres away. From then on, he was determined to protect the androids at all costs, even if they too were an enemy. He'd done it before, years ago when he'd joined forces with his arch rival Goku in order to defeat Raditz. He'd joined forces with the other fighters of Earth to defend the planet against Vegeta and Nappa. He'd even sacrificed his own life to save Gohan, his enemy's son, all because the little brat had somehow gotten under his skin deep enough to make Piccolo see the light. Now he would join forces once again with the one he deemed the enemy, just to attempt to defeat their own common enemy.

"You say he's going to absorb me?" Seventeen asked as he rose to his feet, feeling a little humiliated by the quick shut-down Cell had performed on him. He wouldn't be letting his guard down like that again.

"His name is Cell," Piccolo explained. "He's a monster created by Dr Gero's computer. He's come to the past in order to absorb you and Eighteen so he can become complete."

Cell snorted, "You should feel honoured. By becoming part of me, you shall help to create a superbeing more powerful than any other in existence! We will become the ultimate warrior that Dr Gero dreamed of!"

The mere mention of the doctor put Seventeen in a venomous mood, although on the outside he remained indifferent. After what that man had caused himself and his twin sister to go through, all those years of having the human within them taken by force until there was almost no trace of it left. It was fortunate that although he did not recall his original name and had no memories of his previous life, Seventeen knew he and his sister had been people with strong personalities. It was what had allowed them to remain in control and to disobey the doctor's demands, infuriating the old man and deeming his android creations – no, his cyborgs – to be failures. Their personalities was all that remained of their original selves, their bodies enhanced by cyber-genetics, now more powerful and capable of things neither had ever dreamed of. The doctor's thirst for power had been his downfall, he'd been the one who'd given Seventeen and Eighteen the power to dispose of him. Now he was finally gone and even though in their own way they chose to follow his programming by assisting Sixteen in his search, there was no way Seventeen was going to bow down to any more of the doctor's wishes. He would not allow himself or his sister to become part of this mutated, delusional, bug-like freak!

"I won't be absorbed by the likes of you," He spoke with an air of confidence, believing in every word he spoke, raising his thumb to point towards himself, "The ultimate warrior is standing right here!"

"Seventeen – RUN!" Sixteen barked. "It's too powerful for you!" The silent android's sudden decision to break his silence had taken those who knew him by surprise. Sixteen was capable of sensing ki signals, something his later-created comrades didn't seem to have acquired. He too could sense the polluted ki coming from the monster and knew that he was more than a match for Seventeen and Eighteen – and even Piccolo. Furthermore he could sense out his intentions and it clashed with those that Gero had originally intended for all of his creations. "Cell's goal is no longer to kill Son Goku – He wishes to destroy the entire galaxy! We must not let it become complete – you and Eighteen must heed our warnings and run!"

Seventeen's smile dropped. "... You finally choose to speak and that's what you say?" He clenched his muscles and braced himself, "What do you take me for?!" With that he lunged out towards the monster planning to absorb him, despite Piccolo and Sixteen's protests. He was the ultimate android, it had been his destiny to be the strongest of all of them! He would be the one to stand at the top looking down upon all those weaker than he was, able to do what he wanted and when he wanted! He did not need anyone worrying about him, nor did he appreciate their concerns! He would prove himself to them that underestimating him was a dangerous thing to do!

Piccolo interfered. He wasn't going to let this opportunity to get the androids clear from Cell's sight pass them by. With all his remaining strength he managed to catch Cell's full attention, firing off all his remaining power within a large energy attack. Firing it metres from his target, he forced the other androids to take cover. The ki attack collided with its intended target and shook the immediate surroundings and atmosphere, sending clouds shooting across the winds and conjuring up hurricane-force gusts. The entire island was more-or-less reduced to rubble, save the area directly behind where Piccolo stood.

Despite his and Sixteen's pleas, both androids had remained on the island, transfixed by the battle unfolding before them.

Cell slowly emerged from the sea, his body unscathed from the powerful attack, despite its incredible destructive power.

* * *

Krillin pulled the fifth Dragonball from the bush it had been hidden in and chucked it into the rucksack now sitting upon Chiri's back. "That's number five," He exhaled, wiping the thorns and twigs from his clothes and admiring the small scratches he'd received from volunteering to get the ball!

Chiri nodded looking glumly down at the floor. "Only two more to go..."

Krillin frowned. "... I know. I sense it too..." He was referring to the battle far off to the west. Cell and Piccolo's energies were together and Piccolo's ki had just taken a colossal nose-dive. They could only hope that the androids weren't still present although Krillin highly doubted this to be true. There was no way Cell would allow them to leave his site, he was far too committed to completing his evolution. It wasn't as if he wasn't already their most powerful and deadly ally – why'd he have to grow stronger still? No one could challenge his power!

"Piccolo will be ok, won't he?" Chiri asked, her voice shaking as she spoke. "You said he'd be fine. He can't lose now, can he? I don't want him to lose..."

"Piccolo's one of the most cunning and crafty fighters we have, not to mention probably the wisest now he's got Kami inside of him," Krillin reassured her with a pat on the back. "He'll pull through."

It was almost as if fate had other ideas. As soon as the words had left his mouth, Piccolo's ki plummeted once again, this time now dangerously low. The flame of his ki began to waver as if it were on its last bit of power. It was enough to make Chiri take a couple of steps forwards and throw the rucksack off her back. Krillin had to quickly grab her to stop her from leaving the ground, "Don't do it!"

"Let me go!" Chiri screamed. "You said he'd be ok! You said Piccolo would be ok!" There was nothing she could do; they were too far away even to attempt a rescue mission. No one could save Piccolo now.

The final blow was dealt. Piccolo's ki vanished.

"PICCOLO!" Chiri hollered hysterically, her emotions completely rampaging inside of her, fists trembling and clenched so tightly her nails were digging in. Blood was drawn though she didn't care, she didn't know how to react. Fury, sorrow, shame, bitterness, betrayal, unable to trust anyone anymore, all her emotions felt as if they were going to make her explode. Piccolo had died, another person had died. She couldn't contain it any longer, she had to let it out even if Krillin would be in the firing line!

The sound of rustling leaves caught Krillin's ear; the change of lighting coming from above caught his attention and without a second thought, he snatched Chiri off the ground as fast as he could and into the sky, bracing himself as the shockwave of the exploding ki attack struck them, tossing them higher into the sky.


	28. IoC Chapter 28

**AN:** Just as a heads up, this chapter does get a little violent and, depending on your definition and tolerance, gruesome. Some people by the end of this may be thinking "gruesome? What was she talking about?" others may be thinking "How could she do that? That's horrible!"

All I'll say is that if you've watched the entire series, none of this should be new or unexpected to you. You all saw how Freeza treated Gohan. That's all I'm saying.

- LilDBZbuddy89

* * *

**Chapter 28 – Ambush of Peril**

Neither sibling had taken the loss of their friend well. Piccolo's ki had vanished completely; Cell had ended the fight by snapping his neck, then firing a ki attack through his abdomen. Although in another time, Piccolo had enough life to regenerate himself and survive long enough for Goku to rescue him, in this time he did not have that strength. All his power had been exhausted and his body tossed into the ocean. Cell hadn't bothered absorbing him, deeming himself strong enough already to overpower the androids. He could overpower Seventeen, that much had been proven already.

Chiri had reacted badly and was unable to contain her sorrow. She had no idea that her older brother Gohan had reacted in a similar way to herself. The boy had broken down before suddenly becoming determined to rescue Piccolo in any way he could. Gohan had made a bid to escape the confines of the lookout but had been struck down by his father, who was also struggling to keep himself under control. Piccolo was no more, his life force extinguished. Had Goku interfered earlier on in the fight maybe he'd have made a difference... It was another friend they'd have to bring back with the Dragonballs.

Krillin had also felt a great sadness at the loss of a fellow comrade yet it hadn't dimmed his senses to the point where he could not sense or see oncoming danger. Spotting a flash of light from the corner of his eye, he grabbed hold of the hysterical girl's wrist and pulled her to safety, both chucked further into the atmosphere as the ki blast erupted against the ground, missing its intended targets. Krillin spun head over heels, struggling to regain his control over the powerful shockwave as well as spot the culprit, already having his suspicions. Quickly they were confirmed as the towering blue bulk of a monster shot towards he and Chiri with one fist held back! Krillin yanked Chiri once more and tossed her to the side, quickly dodging the android's incoming punch and flipping over his gigantic body, hovering in the air with his hunches up.

Chiri had also come to a halt above the ground, still struggling to control her emotions which continued to run amok inside of her. Spotting the creature that had thrown her so rudely from the spot she'd chosen to bawl her eyes out on, added to the pain of losing a treasured mentor and knowing her brother would be heart-broken, Chiri snapped. With a scream that could only be described as one that a banshee would make, she charged head-on towards the android despite Krillin's cries for her to stop.

The former monk had noticed the bizarre spike in her energy which kept him rooted to the spot, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

The android was suddenly sent flying back through the air as Chiri head-butted him at full-pelt, rearing back both hands and charging up her energy. With a continuous holler she threw ki attack after ki attack after ki attack towards her soaring enemy, her body burning with rage and venom as her ki flowed almost effortlessly through the palms of her hands, shaping into ki blasts before bolting towards its target. The android was engulfed in mid-air with a large plume of smoke as the barrage of ki attacks continued to strike him, knocking him quickly to the ground before pummelling him against the trees and dirt. The ground shuddered violently as Chiri's ki fluctuated wildly, her emotions completely taking over the situation as she somehow attempted to vent the sorrow, frustration and downright helplessness she felt for not being able to prevent another death, leaving Krillin staring with bewilderment and fear as the six-year-old continued to unleash her wrath.

He couldn't help but be reminded of Gohan during their battles against the Saiyans and against their opponents on Namek. There was a similarity and yet there was a difference between the two siblings. Gohan's untapped talent was always unlocked in a time of desperation, either because someone was in danger of being killed or because Gohan had been backed into that corner. Chiri did not seem to have that kind of untapped ability. Whilst this was clearly untapped – as Krillin would never have suspected she was capable of causing such powerful attacks given the power he'd sensed from her – this seemed far more a response rather than a defence mechanism. This was venting rage – and it was dangerous!

Chiri dived down – still screaming like an animal – into the dense plume of dust and smoke she'd created from her onslaught, vanishing into the thick cloud. Despite not being able to see five feet around her, she somehow managed to grab hold of the android's wrist and tossed him into the air, chasing after him and, again with a scream, beat her kicks several times into the android's stomach in a rapid dance of protest before smashing both hands clean into the back of his skull, knocking the android down to the ground once more with an almighty crash.

"KAMEHAMEHAAAAAA!" Chiri threw her cupped palms forward and unleashed the signature attack that had been passed down through a couple of generations of masters and students. The blue beam quickly struck its target and obliterated a large proportion of the forest below; the shockwave strong enough to push the surrounding clouds clean of the area and sending seismic waves through the ground below.

Krillin battled bravely against the wind, anxious about the situation. He was certain at some point he would have to ask Chiri how she managed to get so much power at her age and was this now something that all of Goku's kids would be capable of doing! On the other hand, he could not rid himself of the fear that the android would emerge unscathed before beating the stuffing out of them!

The smoke and debris fell to the ground and began to disperse in the winds. Through the smoke, Krillin's fears were confirmed.

Chiri blinked as she finally recognised that the gigantic blue man standing before her did not have a ki signal. This meant he must have been an android. Another one? Was this really another android? "Who is that?" She spluttered, not entirely sure how she'd come to feeling so drained and short of breath. What had just happened to her? She could only draw a blank...

"It must be another one of Gero's androids!" Krillin shuddered with disbelief; he never seemed to have any luck in avoiding the villains who were fully capable of ending his life! What chance did he and Chiri have against this brute – especially since Chiri's sudden outing of dormant ki had done little damage at all against him?!

"I knew I'd find someone sooner or later!" The android smiled, now seemingly calmer than before. His focus strayed over to the adult of the duo. He knew him to be one of Goku's friends. "You – Krillin – tell me where Son Goku is! I wish to fight him."

"Y-You think I'd rat out my friend?!" Krillin snapped, wracking his brain to try and come up with an answer as to how to get out of this situation! "I'm not telling you where he is!" There was little doubt in his mind this android – whoever he was – would stop at nothing to find Goku and would probably try any means to get the information out of Chiri or himself. Krillin was relieved to know this android apparently was unable to track ki signals – he was having to ask for Goku's location so Krillin quickly deducted he was unable to sense their energy signals. Even if worst came to worst and Krillin and Chiri were done in (a thought that sent shivers down Krillin's spine and a lump threatening to cut off his air), at least this android would be no closer to finding Goku. They needed all the time they could get right now – especially since their strongest fighter had just been killed.

"So he's gone into hiding, has he?" The android muttered, his already furrowed brow furrowing further revealing the complex creases of whatever material made up his face. "Smart move; he doesn't stand a chance against the likes of me – especially not now! Very well, if you won't tell me where he is then I'll force you to tell me!"

Especially not now? Who was this android and since when had he already battled Goku? Krillin didn't recognise him at all, although the trousers the android wore did bare a resemblance to those he could have sworn another android had worn – but had that been a coincidence? Krillin didn't have time to find out as the android lunged forwards towards him, suddenly a lot quicker than before. With one terrific movement he grabbed Krillin by the shirt and pulled him towards him, smacking his own forehead into that of the monk's. Krillin cried out as blood oozed from the stinging wound; his hands quickly darted back and he began to pummel the android's body with several ki attacks in a bid to free himself from his grasp. It seemed to have little impact as through all the explosions and dust, the android drew back his other fist and lodged it deeply into Krillin's ribs releasing him from his grasp. Krillin pelted through the air at a dangerous speed and slowly fell towards the ground, colliding with several trees and causing quite a stir of dust, dirt and debris as he slowly descended to ground-level.

Chiri had snapped from her confusion when the unknown android had bolted straight for Krillin and began his assault. With a battle-cry she began her own assault, unable to get very far as their bulky foe drew back the fist he'd used to punch Krillin, implanting his gigantic elbow clean into Chiri's face knocking her backwards. Chiri flinched as the sharp sting of a fresh strike engulfed her face, it almost felt as if her nose was on fire and she could feel the moistening of blood running down her lips. She almost felt as if the world around her was dimming and her senses momentarily numbing, until the feel of the android's large and tight grasp around her ankle quickly lurched her back to reality. She was thrown towards the ground with one swing, colliding and pile-driving through several trees before coming to an abrupt halt in the branches of another, which topped under the force of her landing and collapsed onto the ground with a heavy thud. Leaves and smaller branches covered her from view, Chiri almost unsure of where she was and what way she was facing as her head spun. It had only been one hit and a throw and yet her entire body seemed to scream out for her to sleep!

Was this android really that powerful? Was this the power her dad, brother and friends were all facing up against?

Krillin had lunged back into the fray but was quickly knocked away once more by the android, this time catapulted clean into the face of a rocky outcrop overlooking the forest, vanishing into the hard surface leaving a rugged, small hole. His ki had taken a pelting from that one strike and his entire body screamed out as he lay limp against his rocky surroundings. The coolness of the rock and shade around him offered little relief as he felt the wound on his forehead grow moist and sting against the dust he'd stirred up. _'Damn it...Why is it always like this?'_ He cursed himself and his inadequacy, finding himself barely able to open his eyes. His entire body ached and felt heavy, he didn't want to move any of his limbs because of how much energy it now felt it required and yet he knew he had to get out of this hole and continue the fight. Goku wouldn't give up so easily, even if the odds were against him.

Against his body's wishes, Krillin willed himself to lean forward off the uncomfortable bed of rock he'd landed upon and crawled back out of the hobble, cautiously peering out into the outside world.

The android had hold of Chiri. What startled Krillin was that the android was holding her by the neck!

Chiri struggled, unable to free herself from the gigantic monster's terrifyingly strong grip, every moment wasting precious oxygen. She thought she could have caught him off-guard when he'd been preoccupied attacking Krillin. As soon as he'd been thrown back down, Chiri had rushed in to attack but had been yanked clean from the air like a feather, suddenly finding herself caught in this android's firm grip, unable to struggle or gain any wiggle-space despite her best efforts. She could feel the blood rushing to her head, could feel her body begin to scream for oxygen that she was unable to give, could feel the panic setting in as her body grew ever louder screaming and screaming for air. She couldn't do anything about it! She'd used up and wasted a large amount of the air she had left trying to free herself and now the world around her was darkening. Her dad was right not to want to train her, she concluded.

She couldn't do anything. She wasn't worth training. Her father was better off training someone who could do it, who could beat bad guys when it mattered, someone like Gohan.

The android continued to squeeze the life from the girl's body, seeing the light in her eyes dim as her limbs began to grow limp and fell to her sides, the struggling began to softly subside. One more worthless life chucked to the side – one less worthless worm to stop him reaching his goal. Son Goku would no doubt be enraged once he came to learn the truth – his daughter had been killed. The human emotional spectrum was something bizarre yet oddly intriguing to this now improved Android Thirteen – something he did not understand and yet knew how to manipulate. This would surely bring his prey out, surely he would want to do something after letting his child be killed at his hands. Thirteen relished the chance to fight his adversary and slay him with his own hands. Then Dr Gero's dream would be complete and he would them go on to terrorise the planet and make those who dared to disobey the Red Ribbon Army regret that decision.

Krillin stumbled down the side of the rocky face and crashed onto his feet as he landed heavily, the stinging sensation now most noticeable in the soles of his feet! Despite this, his concentration remained focused and he poured all his effort and energy into raising his hand and charging up his ki into his palm. He manipulated and shaped his energy, pushing it from his palm and up above it. Light and energy began to mix and formed into a disc which began to spin, gradually at first though eventually it became faster and faster. When he was sure all of his energy had been successfully placed into that spinning plate of light, he drew his upright hand back, _'Please work!'_

"Kienzan!" With a scream and all the power he could muster, Krillin leapt off the ground and tossed his upright hand forward, launching his energy disc straight towards the android. The disc travelled quickly through the air, slicing through it with ease and quickly tracked down on its target.

Thirteen noticed the disc heading towards him and smiled. Seeing the plan behind the attack, he placed the bulk of his body between Chiri and the attack and snatched the Kienzan disc clean out of the air with nothing but one hand. With minimal effort he held tightly to the now squealing sound of the energy whizzing around trying to fight his flesh but quickly submitted, vanishing in a flash of light as Thirteen negated the attack.

Krillin's jaw dropped in horror and astonishment. Suddenly far weaker and losing energy all the time, he dropped to his knees and supported himself with his hands, his arms shaking with the energy they'd just lost. His attack – the accumulation of all the power he'd held within himself – had done nothing to faze the foe. He'd simply grabbed onto his attack and negated the power with his own with no sign of strain. Not only had he rendered Krillin's attack useless, he'd also kept hold of his hostage – Krillin had hoped his attack would draw the android's full attention and make him toss Chiri to the side. Apparently their foe was no fool; he clearly knew what he was doing and was clearly in control of the situation. Chiri was losing vital air and Krillin was now too drained to even attempt to do anything, let alone do anything effective.

The monk felt his limbs give way and collapsed face-down onto the ground. They would need a miracle to get them out of this situation. Where was Goku when they needed him?

Krillin's eyes widened with confusion and panic. He couldn't sense Goku's ki at all now that he thought of it. He couldn't sense Gohan's either...

There! There was someone he could sense!

A smile slowly crept across his face. There it was. Now if only their miracle could arrive in time, they may just scrape out of this one yet!

Thirteen had grown weary of strangling the life out of Chiri and decided to chuck her down to the ground in Krillin's direction. "They were weaker than I thought... how dull..."

Chiri could faintly feel cool air brushing through her hair and her body, feeling almost as if she were falling. What she truly felt more than anything was the fresh chill of the air she gulped down. When had she been able to breathe again? She barely remembered being held hostage by the iron grip of that gigantic blue android, so how was it she was now falling? As she became more aware of herself again, she realised just how much pain she was in. Was it oxygen deprivation, or purely because of the damage she'd sustained from the previous attacks?

The air was momentarily knocked from her lungs as her back slapped roughly against the ground, banging her head. Chiri choked and flinched, crying out in pain as she attempted to reach for her panging head with her arms, realising her body wasn't responding as much as she'd like it to.

Krillin glanced to his right, spotting Chiri had fallen just metres from him. She groaned and seemed to try and reach for her head; no doubt the landing had probably enhanced a lot of the pain her body would already be in from the oxygen deprivation. He wouldn't let her give into whatever voices in her mind would tell her to do; he knew she'd be hearing them because his own body was begging him to close his eyes and let himself slip away into the calm darkness of unconsciousness. They had to fight it if they wanted to greaten their chances of survival. He couldn't let her give in; Goku and Gohan would never forgive him if they found out he'd done nothing to help Chiri survive. He had to keep going, he had to keep her going!

"Ch... Chiri..." His own voice sounded almost unrecognisable to him, Krillin thought. It sounded hoarse and weak, sending alarm bells ringing in his mind. He ignored it and continued; he had to keep her awake. "L-Listen... we've... gotta stay awake... No matter what, don't let yourself... fall asleep. Keep your eyes open..."

Chiri could barely hear Krillin and struggled even more to make sense of the sounds he was making. Stay awake? Why would he say that? She didn't feel tired right now; she felt angry, agitated, sad, confused, frightened. Her heart was pounding in her ribs almost ready to leap-frog out of her throat and make a run for it! Her breath was desperate and painful but each breath was giving her body the desired air it so desperately needed in order to keep working. The flame within her told her to not give into the doubt in her mind, fuelling her anger all the more. The androids were the enemy. Cell had killed Yamcha and Piccolo and had left her with memories that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Seventeen, Eighteen, Sixteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Fifteen – Chiri didn't care what number they had for a name, they were all after her dad and were all trying to kill him! They all seemed to want to kill everyone – even her! Her strength was inadequate, was it? She'd show them – she'd show them all!

Against her body's better judgement, Chiri forced herself into a sitting position, coughing a little blood up as she did so. Her head spun and her limbs and torso burned with pain, still recovering from lack of air. Her will and the fire within her overpowered it and she forced herself into a squat, supporting herself with her hands in a bid to keep her balance. She was a Son, she was the daughter of Goku and Chichi, the two most amazing and inspiring people Chiri knew – besides her brother, Gohan. She wouldn't let them down; she had the blood of them inside of her. Whether her dad chose to train her or not was at this moment in time irrelevant; she would not go down without a fight and would not let the bad guys win. Good guys always won.

Thirteen spotted the child slowly rising to her feet. A little smirk crept across his face. So perhaps one of them wasn't as weak as they appeared. They were conscious and clearly able enough to make their body respond and stand despite the amount he'd put her through. Perhaps he could use the weaker one to his advantage...

"Chiri..." Krillin coughed, "L-Listen to me... You've gotta... get outta here... Please... get outta here..." He was amazed she could still move let alone stand! Just where was she getting the energy from, especially since not too long ago the android had been choking the life out of her! If she could move then she could save the Dragonballs from being destroyed! Now was their chance! "G-Get the Dragonballs... Hurry!"

"W-What are you saying, Krillin?!" Chiri snapped, the loudness of her voice and the different tone to it startling her. She sounded so bitterly cross with him, there was a sharp tone to her voice that sounded a lot like her mother's voice when she was mad! Chiri wasn't sure she liked it!

"G-Go!" Krillin hissed.

Thirteen's gigantic boot suddenly planted itself deeply into Krillin's back, forcing the monk's limbs to sprawl out and the air to be knocked out of his lungs with a horrible scream of pain.

The crossness in Chiri's expression dropped to one of horror as Thirteen suddenly appeared before her, Krillin now breathless and hollering under his boot. The android held a strange yet disgusting smile upon his face as he looked directly at the small child before them; the look sent shivers through Chiri's body though not as much as seeing yet another friend be tortured under the weight and overwhelming power of their enemy. Thirteen's foot pressed down further causing more howls to escape from Krillin's throat. What disturbed her more was when, despite the screaming and pain he was in, Krillin managed to splutter out an audible command, "run Chiri!"

Run? Of course. She'd have done that if this was a situation which did not put someone's life at risk. However she had already been here. Chiri was not standing upon the earthy soil looking at Krillin and Thirteen. She was hovering close to Korin Tower, seeing the life being sucked out of a dying Yamcha as Cell took pleasure in destroying his being and adding it to his own to fulfil his own selfish desire. Chiri was seeing that terrifying look of satisfaction and greed upon that disgusting bug's face. She was seeing the horrifying and disturbing image of Yamcha's body decaying and crumpling inwards until it vanished amongst his turtle-school uniform. That horrible noise of his body decaying and being absorbed filled her ears, the sound of Cell's satisfied chuckle, the smell, the horrible stench of death. The overwhelming pit of fear that had her frozen to the spot.

Beads of tears formed in her eyes, the child almost now oblivious to the scene that was actually playing out before her. The memory was being re-lived and if it were possible, she now felt even more petrified and scared than she had done before. "No... stop it..." the small squeak came from her throat.

"Either of you now want to tell me where Son Goku hides?" Thirteen asked, digging his heel further into Krillin's spine. "Perhaps more persuasive methods are needed..." His foot suddenly jammed far harder into Krillin and a terrifyingly loud snap was heard. Krillin screamed louder than before.

"I SAID STOP IT!" Chiri bellowed. The memory was now warping with reality and the monster she saw before her was not Thirteen but Cell. She threw herself off the ground and lunged for him, rapidly throwing out fists at the monster. 'Cell' was blocking them all with nothing but his tail; Thirteen knew of the speed and power this child seemed to possess and quickly concluded that she was indeed Son Goku's daughter. With Krillin still hollering under his boot, the android raised his foot and kicked the now-paralysed fighter into some nearby trees, no longer caring for him. If he could not get Son Goku's friends to talk and tell him of his location, he would instead obtain the information from his child.

'Cell' dodged Chiri's kick, snatched her from her flight and slammed her hard into the ground several times. Chiri felt her body be thrown back and forward, every part of her screaming out in pain as freshly-inflicted damage was dealt to her. Her vision and awareness faltered and for the briefest of moments the whole world went quiet and blank. Then as she came to, she felt herself lying still upon what she could only assume was the ground, face-down against the cold soil.

'_What's happening to me?'_ She couldn't fathom out what was real anymore. Had she just been fighting Cell? That was impossible; she couldn't sense him anywhere near their current location. What had she just been attacking? Why was she seeing these flashbacks?

A sharp pain shot through her scalp causing Chiri to choke out a cry; Thirteen had snatched her up from the ground by her hair and rose to full height, holding the tiny child metres above the ground she'd just been settled upon. Chiri felt like her head was burning and that her skin would be ripped off.

"Where is your father?" Thirteen demanded. "Why is he not here to protect his offspring?"

With one swift movement he lodged his free fist into Chiri's spine, earning a piercing scream from her as she cried out. Several more punches were issued, each one gaining another cry or yelp. Chiri could not hold it in anymore, she was too drained of power and too confused by what she was experiencing to hold back on showing her pain. Piccolo would not appreciate this display of weakness, nor would her father be impressed with how she was handling the situation. She didn't know what to make of it anymore. Each strike against her would just send her closer to calmness, closer to peace and rest.

Thirteen was growing frustrated by the lack of answers he was getting. Perhaps he needed to change his tactics further. He ceased his actions and instead grabbed hold of this captive's left ankle.

"If you don't tell me where your father is, I'll rip your leg off!"

* * *

Krillin stirred. His body felt strange, almost alien to him. Then he remembered why. He'd had his spine broken and now could not feel half of his body! Feeling still remained in his arms but he couldn't tell where the cut-off point was. This was just great. No feeling in his lower body, low on strength and no one to rescue him or Chiri from this monster... or at least not yet. Maybe it'd be too late by the time he arrived?

An ear-piercing scream suddenly shattered the eerie silence of his surroundings; Krillin's body was suddenly pumped up with adrenaline as he recognised that piercing howl. "Chiri!"


End file.
